THE Marie Curie Nurses Appeal needs support from businesses if it is to hit its £200,000 target for Bolton, campaigners say.

Now companies across the borough are being urged to get involved and help fundraise for the campaign, which is backed by The Bolton News.

Marie Curie Cancer Care wants to reach the ambitious target in just 12 months.

Every pound raised will fund free nursing care for local term-inally ill people, allowing them to choose to die at home.

But businesses embarking on a partnership with Marie Curie will reap benefits too.

The charity’s community fundraiser Hannah Taylor said: “We need to develop strong partnerships with companies across Bolton and would love to meet up with anyone interested in finding out more.

“Each relationship will be designed and managed to meet the objectives of the individual business as well as helping us to provide care across Bolton.

“We’re a national charity with a strong brand but we’re also very local and money raised in Bolton stays in Bolton, making a real difference to local families.

“By choosing to support the Bolton Nurses Appeal companies can build their brand by positive association with one of the UK’s leading, well-established and most recognisable charities at a local level.

“We can help meet corporate responsibility objectives and motivate employees while enabling everyone involved to know the difference their support is making to local families.”

Businesses can get involved in a number of ways: there is a corporate membership scheme, We Care, with four levels of partnership; companies can sponsor events, projects or products and employees can fundraise, for example, with dress-down days and cake sales. There are also a wide range of appeals to support and events to take part in.

Any company interested in getting involved should contact Hannah Taylor on 0161 255 2809 or 07798 638127.

To find out more about the Marie Curie Nurses Appeal visit theboltonnews.co.uk/mariecurie. Let us know what you are doing on 01204 537203 and we will cover as many fundraisers as we can.