Friends party in memory of Alison

ALISON on a charity fundraising walk in Peru

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ZUMBA dancing and a cake sale helped raise over £2,500 for a bowel cancer charity in memory of a Greenfield woman who lost her battle with the disease.

Friends of Alison Read organised the Zumba party event at the George Lawton Hall in Mossley to raise money for Beating Bowel Cancer after Alison battled the disease for a decade before she passed away aged just 31 in 2012.

Alison, who was a nurse, worked throughout her illness and was passionate about supporting other sufferers through volunteering and fundraising activities, even completing a charity trek to Machu Picchu in 2009.

More than 100 people joined in the fun at the Zumba party, which featured two hours of dancing, glow sticks and a raffle in aid of the charity that promotes early diagnosis of bowel cancer to increase survival rates and campaigns for the highest quality treatment and care for bowel cancer patients.

Organiser Ellen Aldred said: "The atmosphere was electric and everyone had a brilliant time - Alison would've loved it!

"As well as raising money, our aim was to also raise awareness of this terrible disease, which is much more common than many people think, and can affect people of all ages.

"We would like to thank the local community for their very generous contributions and for helping us to spread awareness of bowel cancer and this superb charity who offered Alison, her family and many other sufferers and families vital support and advice in the darkest of times, and who tirelessly campaign for cancer patients, saving many lives each year."

Donations can still be made by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Paule-Read