IT was only launched a year ago, but the Wee County Cancer Research UK Fundraising Group already has plenty to be proud of.

Borne out of the energy and enthusiasm of long-term supporters of the national charity, it was established with the aim of expanding fundraising activities across Clackmannanshire.

It raised over £7000 within six months during its first year and is looking to smash a target of £10,000 this year, but is appealing for local residents to get involved and show their support.

Founder Rosa Macpherson, who is also a Cancer Research UK ambassador, which sees her carrying out political lobbying, explained, “As a cancer survivor and a cancer widow, who has also lost several friends to cancer, I decided I wanted to give something back following the early detection that I was lucky enough to get from the health centre in Alloa. I was a very lucky person and just wanted to give back to charity.

“Its main purpose is to raise funds to allow continuation of the life-saving work that cancer research scientists carry out. It also helps fund clinical trials which are so vital because that saves lives.

“There’s hundreds of ways that people can help. What would be really great now is if we could get a couple more onto the committee. Or even just come along and say ‘you can call on me’.” Money is raised through events organised by the group, through activities the group participates in and members of the community can also organise events on its behalf, with money fed back into the national charity.

Examples of fundraisers have included ceilidhs, coffee mornings, a fishing tournament, store collections, Race for Life — where they made £1436 in two hours this year, selling plastic flowers — and many more.

There are a range of ideas in the pipeline for the rest of 2014 and there is something for everyone to get involved in.

Rosa, who received a Flame of Hope award from the charity for her work, said, “It’s having bodies on the ground to help with these things. They don’t have to be extroverts, they don’t have to be willing to wear tutus – there’s roles for everybody.

“People can put in as much or as little as they want to their community, I happen to be a political and community activist. I have survived cancer and cancer took my husband and smoking took my dad, so I have a lot of reason for supporting it.

“But people don’t have to have a personal reason for getting involved in that sort of group. It’s a worthwhile cause.” The group meets once a month, on a Thursday, at the Claremont Lodge in Alloa and each meeting lasts a maximum of 90 minutes.

For more information email rosa.weecountygroup@hotmail.co.uk, irene.weecountygroup@hotmail.co.uk or visit ‘Wee County Cancer Research UK Fundraising Group’ on Facebook.

- There are more than 200 types of cancer, each with different causes, symptoms and treatments.

- Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last 40 years.

- Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.

- More than 331,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2011 in the UK, that’s around 910 people every day.

- Cancers of the breast, lung, prostate and bowel account for over half (54 per cent) of all new cancer cases in the UK in 2011.