FUNDRAISERS, volunteers and nurses turned out to help launch this year's Marie Curie Cancer Care Great Daffodil Appeal in a Suffolk town.

FUNDRAISERS, volunteers and nurses turned out to help launch this year's Marie Curie Cancer Care Great Daffodil Appeal in a Suffolk town.

Peter Heath, a volunteer with the charity in Bury St Edmunds and a member of the town's cycle group the West Suffolk Wheelers, turned up with a tandem to help kick start the money-spinning campaign in the Abbey Gardens.

Marie Curie Cancer Care is appealing for people to get involved in 2009 by volunteering for its annual Daffodil Appeal.

Each March the charity encourages everyone in the UK to give a donation in return for a daffodil to wear in support of Marie Curie nurses.

The money raised helps the charity provide free nursing care for people with cancer and other terminal illnesses in their own homes and the charity's hospices.

Marie Curie Cancer Care's services are free to patients, their families and carers but the charity can only operate with public support.

Angela Bussey, community fundraiser for Suffolk and Norfolk, also appealed for volunteers to help collect donations and hand out daffodils.

She said: “If you have got a couple of hours to spare, turn these into Marie Curie Nursing hours by taking to the streets to collect for the charity - 18,000 collectors are needed to man the thousands of collection points across the country during February and March.”

Lorna Clarkson, Marie Curie Nursing Ambassador of the Year for England, said: “Most people would want to be cared for at home if they were terminally ill.

“Marie Curie nurses like me allow people this choice because we provide end of life care, totally free to patients in their own homes. “I'll be out collecting to ensure more people get to die peacefully at home surrounded by their family after receiving the very best care.”

- To volunteer for the Great Daffodil Appeal visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil or call the Daffodil Hotline on 0845 601 3107.