A fundraising team is celebrating raising £100,000 after just three years of supporting Cancer Research UK.

Relay for Life Warrington, which is also operates in Runcorn, is a registered committee which fundraises on behalf of Cancer Research UK.

Their £100,000 milestone was reached through a combination of street and shop collections, individual and team sponsored challenges, garden parties, prize draws, bake sales, one-off personal donations, and their flagship event which is an annual 24-hour celebration event held at Victoria Park Athletics stadium in Warrington.

In 2019, more than 400 participants from Warrington, Runcorn, and surrounding areas joined forces to support the Warrington event, but the pandemic meant that the 2020 activities had to be held virtually.

Throughout 2021, the intrepid team of supporters are currently delivering a varied season of different fun initiatives, including a hybrid virtual and physical relay event to be held on June 12.

With lockdown restrictions easing, the committee has planned a series of further events this year including a ‘Woof Walkies’ dog walk, a ‘Twilight Walk,’ and some Bake-Off events.

They are also planning their first ever Grand Ball to celebrate the end of the 2021 fundraising season in November.

David Ash, event chair of Relay for Life Warrington, said “It is a staggeringly fantastic total to hit, and it is literally lifesaving.

‘‘The fact that the whole community has worked so hard, and fought on through a pandemic, to achieve this is simply outstanding.

‘‘The need to support Cancer Research UK, and all charities, has never been more urgent than right now.

‘‘I am so immensely proud of every single person who has contributed in any way so far, and for those who will do so in the future.

‘‘We are all extremely excited about all of the fabulous 2021 events and we’re looking forward to delivering an unbelievably good 2022 Relay for Life back at Victoria Park!”

Relay for Life Warrington began back in 2018 to raise funds for vital life-saving research within the north west, at the Manchester and Liverpool research centres, helping to ensure more men, women, and children in the North West and across the UK survive.

Megan Elliot, founder member and survivorship chair of Relay for Life Warrington, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have reached this wonderful mile-stone in our fundraising.

‘‘Thank you to our Relay family and our committee for their continued enthusiasm and dedication.

‘‘I hope this great news will inspire everyone to continue fundraising for life-saving research.’’

Chris Doyle, relationship manager for Cancer Research UK in the North West, said: “Relay For Life Warrington have made a huge contribution to Cancer Research UK’s work over the past three years and we are incredibly grateful for the support of the committee and the amazing teams of supporters that they work with in the Warrington and Runcorn areas.

“One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before.

‘‘Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

‘‘However, we have only been able to achieve this thanks to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and supporters without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving research.”