Panto cast's charity goal

Picture shows chemotherapy nurse Hazel Hall, Francine Clee, our communications officer, Perri Ann Barley and Craig Barley at the MCU

Health workers and panto actors are helping to keep Yorkshire’s first mobile chemotherapy unit on the road with a New Year fundraising challenge.

The Blue Light Theatre Company, founded by members of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, hopes its latest pantomime will raise £1,000 for us - enough to run our new unit for a day.

A cast of 18 NHS staff and supporters from other walks of life is now hard at work rehearsing the new production, ‘Bean-stalked!’, to be staged at Acomb WMC from January 24 to 26, 2018.

Its previous pantomimes have raised cash for both York Against Cancer and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, a charity supported by the ambulance workers in memory of a colleague, Sally Waudby, who died of the condition.

They want to raise at least £1,000 for both good causes in 2018, and as they prepared for curtain up, panto writer Perri Ann Barley and husband Craig visited the mobile chemotherapy unit to see where their cash would be used.

“It’s a fabulous asset!” said Perri, a dispatcher with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and paramedic Craig agreed. “It’s really great to see it up and running and treating people closer to their homes,” he said.

There will be a bar and a raffle at this year’s production from 7.30pm on January 24, 25 and 26, and bags of sweets donated by local stores will be on sale to raise even more charity cash. Adult tickets (£10), under-14s (£5) and concessions (January 24 and 25, £7) are available from a hotline number, 07933 329654, by Paypal from the website www.bluelight-theatre.co.uk.