Cancer is the UK s biggest killer, claiming more than 150,000 lives a year. A further one million live with the disease at any one time. Marie Curie Cancer Care works to look after cancer sufferers and their families and challenges the disease through res

Cancer is the UK's biggest killer, claiming more than 150,000 lives a year. A further one million live with the disease at any one time. Marie Curie Cancer Care works to look after cancer sufferers and their families and challenges the disease through research. This month, for the sixth year running, it holds its Great Daffodil Appeal to raise funds for its nursing service. Lesley Innes takes a look at the work of the charity and how the people of East Cambridgeshire can help it hit its £4million target.

BOSSES are being urged to rise to the challenge when Marie Curie Cancer Care stages its Back to the Shop Floor event.

The idea is running alongside its normal collections to raise cash for its Great Daffodil Appeal.

Company chiefs will be challenged on Friday to take on the work of their employees, which could see the heads of East Cambridgeshire's top firms running reception or taking the lunch orders.

The event is based on the BBC TV programme and, nationally, big names including Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton, Mayor of London Ken Livingston and actress Linda Robson have signed up to take part.

The charity is asking all those joining in the event to encourage their colleagues to sponsor their efforts.

It has put together a support pack with lots of ideas and a fun Snakes and Ladders game which the boss can play on the day to see how quickly he or she can fall down the corporate ladder.

All the money will go towards the Great Daffodil Appeal, aiming to raise £4million for the Marie Curie Nursing Service.

The appeal was launched in Ely when fund-raising organisers got together at Tesco and invited people to make a donation and take home a daffodil.

Cambridgeshire community fund-raising co-ordinator Karen Chesney said: "Marie Curie Care is asking people to make a donation and take a daffodil home during March, so that it can enable more than 150,000 people in the UK who are terminally ill with cancer to spend their last few days in the comfort of their familiar surroundings."

Street collectors have also been handing out daffodils in exchange for donations in Ely city centre and raised £1,795.79.

They are also available from local stores, schools and Marie Curie shops nationwide throughout the month.

INFORMATION: Volunteers are needed. Contact the Daffodil Hotline on 0845 601 3107 or you can visit the website at www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil. And don't forget to tell us about it, too!