A nursery based in Astley Bridge has donated £1,000 to a hospital which specialises in cancer treatment.

Children, staff, parents, and businesses have all pitched in to help Seymour Road Nursery raise £1,050 which has been donated The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in south Manchester.

The Christie was chosen after two of the nursery’s staff, Karen McGowan and Debbie Mooney, both received cancer diagnoses and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

“They said they would like to donate something to them as they have helped them both through this difficult time,” said nursery owner Jackie Nairn.

The nursery put on a “grand raffle”, which was supported by a number of local businesses.

Jackie said: “It has been much appreciated the kindness we have received from parents and the community.”

READ MORE: Horwich Day Nursery collects Christmas hampers for homeless

The children also turned into market sellers for the day, as the nursery put on its own Christmas market for the cause.

Jackie added: “The children created their own items to ‘sell’ at our market and parents joined us along with Father Christmas for an afternoon of fun.”

This is not the first time Seymour Road has collected money for a good cause.

In 2020, Jackie and her team raised money to defibrillators that could service the whole of the Astley Bridge community.

READ MORE: Seymour Road Nursery raises money for community defibrillator

Treating more than 60,000 patients a year, The Christie is the largest single site cancer centre in Europe.

It contains one of the world’s largest radio therapy departments and is home to the UK’s largest brachytherapy service.

It is also the first NHS organisation in the UK to deliver high energy proton beam therapy and is has the UK’s largest chemotherapy unit.

It provides prostate cancer community clinics at 5 different locations as well as highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancers.

"We are so lucky to have to Christie," said Debbie.

"This is the second time I've had treatment there and the care I've received has always been first class.

"The doctors and nurses are always treat you with such compassion and like a person and not a patient.

"It just feels right to fundraise and pay back after everything they've done for me."

READ MORE: Seddon celebrates 125th birthday with £1m fundraised for The Christie

Karen and Debbie are planning on further fundraising effort, which Jackie and the nursery will be planning with parents throughout the year.

"We are going to take part in the Christie challenge which means we have to organise five further fundraising events over the next 12 months," Jackie said.

Among the ideas are bake sales, coffee mornings, a pyjama day, and Morecambe Bay walk on May 28.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18.