A team member at an East of England Co-op store has rallied the community together to raise £1,162 for charity at the weekend at its supermarket on Hadleigh High Street.

Organised by East of England Co-op team manager Vanessa Mitchell, the store hosted a fundraising family fun day on Saturday July 28 that included a store-based treasure hunt, face-painting and a ‘hook a duck’ competition.

She organised the charity event to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support in support for her brother Mark Cole, who was diagnosed with cancer last year.

Vanessa said; “In May 2017, my brother was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma stage 4 brain tumour. Macmillan Cancer Support helped our family have fun even during the sad times, so I decided to take on some challenges as a thank you for all of their incredible work.

“The family fun day on Saturday provided parents and children with a fantastic start to their summer holidays. I am very grateful for the East of England Co-op’s support towards my fundraising efforts and I am really pleased that we were able to raise so much money for a truly worthwhile cause.”

The store welcomed Vanessa’s brother Mark Cole to the fundraising event, and he helped to collect donations.

Vanessa and friend Kila Brown were also busy raising money on Fridayh July 27, taking it in turns to cycle for 14 hours on a static spin bike between 7:00am and 9:00pm.

To help raise funds, the East of England Co-op also ran a raffle in-store from Thursday until Saturday July 28, with a prize draw offering all entrants the chance to win £50 worth of East of England Co-op vouchers.

Vanessa’s charity endeavours continue throughout the year and she is also taking part in the London to Brighton cycle ride for The Brain Tumour Charity on Sunday September 16, 2018 as well as running the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday October 14, 2018 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

To sponsor Vanessa visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/vanessamitchellrpfhm20188726