Cancer campaigner’s delight at tea-rrific gift to support group

Asda steps in to give year’s supply of tea, coffee, mugs and spoons

A support group for women living with breast cancer in Perth and Kinross has received a year’s supply of tea and coffee, thanks to the work of an inspirational Perth woman.

Supermarket Asda has donated the goodies, complete with mugs and spoons, to the Perth Breast Cancer Support Group after Martine Sinclair highlighted the impact the shortages were having on sessions.

The donation has come as a bonus after the cancer campaigner’s Not Norm in a B Cup afternoon tea event, held on Saturday at the Maltings, raised more than £1,000 to help others living with the disease.

She said: “Asda Perth have donated a year’s supply of tea, coffee, sugar, water, other light beverages, mugs and teaspoons for me to pass on to the support group. I was going to spend some of the money I raised on this, so to get it over and above the money we raised is tremendous.”

The 52-year-old, from Perth, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May and is halfway through her course of chemotherapy.

She has been going along to the Perth Breast Cancer Support Group meetings once a month and was shocked when the group ran out of key essentials.

“I thought ‘this is ridiculous’,” she said.

“This is the only support group across the whole of Perthshire, from Blair Atholl all the way down to Kinross, so I spoke to the manager at Asda and they came back with this very kind offer.”

Martine thanked the 50 people who attended Saturday’s event.

“Here was me hoping to raise £500, so I am absolutely delighted, as you can imagine,” she said.

“I can’t believe the generosity of the people in the big county, the local businesses and individuals as well. A few of us stayed around afterwards and enjoyed a glass of prosecco.”

Anna Jellye, community champion at Asda Perth, said Martine had written to give more detail about her fundraising plans and the team at the store saw a way they could help.

“We are working on our own Tickled Pink campaign – which aims to raise money and awareness around breast cancer – so we were more than happy to help do something local,” she said.

“Martine said one of the things she was raising money for was the tea and coffee, so I thought if we can help her with that stuff then there will be more money to go towards research and her other fund-raising goals.”

I spoke to the manager at Asda and they came back with this very kind offer. MARTINE SINCLAIR

Picture: Gareth Jennings. Martine Sinclair from Perth held a tea party in the Maltings in aid of breast cancer support and raised more than £1,000 to help others living with the disease.