35 years of fundraising success

Isobel Canning, from Kilfennan, began volunteering for the charity in 1975 and has helped to raise over 736,000 from the City area and surrounding for Cancer Research UK.

After three hip replacement operationss, a bone graft and arthritis to cope with, Isobel selflessly co-ordinates shop box collections in her area and has organised a variety of events to raise monty to help find a cure to prevent cancer.

Isobel started volunteering for the charity when she joined the former Londonderry committee and was an enthusiastic and energetic member of the cities fundraising committee until it closed in 2008.

"My spare time is used to help others," said Isobel.

Asked what she liked about her volunteering work, she said: "I like meeting people and making friends and I am working to cure cancer".

Her kindly deeds, which have raised so much money in the past 35 years were prompted by cancer effecting relatives.

"I have three sisters who have all had cancer and survived. Two had breast cancer and one lung cancer, and thanks goodness they have all done well, but on my first cousin side I have a realtive whose three boys died from cancer," she said.

"Beating cancer is a subject very close to may heart. I do my best to tell everybody about the benefits of volunteering and fundraising," she said, adding that her other 'activities' have included organising line dancing events at Drumahoe YMCA in conjunction with Sandra Young.

Despite the fact that Isobel lives with the effects of arthritis, she laughs off her aches and pains and gets out and enjoys life, saing: "I never sit down. It's no wonder I have arthritis".

Congratulating Isobel on her incredible fundraising effort, Glenda Milligan, Cancer Research UK Area volunteer manager for the north west said: "I would like to thank Isobel for the massive contribution she has made to our vital work over the past 35 years.

"Cancer Research UK has made enormous progress in the fight against cancer and continues to do so. However, we have only been able to do this thanks to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and supporterswithout whom we would not be able to fund our vital research."

Cancer Research UK currently spends over 2million each year in Northern Ireland on research alone.

In Altnagelvin Hospital Diane Taylor, a co-funded research nurse for the charity is based, where the charity is currently running trials in prostate, gastrointestinal, breast and hematological cancers.

Providing access to cancer clinical trials in Altnagelvin means patients do not have to travel to Belfast City Hospital to avail of clinical trials. This allows the charity to develop the practice of cancer research throughout Northern Ireland.