Ex-nurse who can only use one hand makes hundreds of Christmas cards to aid Chesterfield cancer centre

Maureen Beighton, third left, with some of the Christmas cards she has made to aid the cancer centre. Also pictured from left are Rosalyn Simpson, Samantha Botham, Macmillan's Rob Turner, Peak Home Care manager Samantha Clarke, Annabel Evans and Cheryl Williams. Picture by Anne Shelley.

Maureen Beighton made the festive cards for staff and clients at Peak Home Care on Ashgate Road, Chesterfield, to buy.

A total of £100 was raised for the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre. The new development, costing £8.9 million, is due to open next autumn.

Maureen, who receives support from Peak Home Care, said: “It was my way of saying thank you to all the wonderful staff there – while raising money for this wonderful centre.”

Maureen, 71, of Holymoorside, suffered a stroke in 2009 and lost the ability to use her left hand. She said it was a tricky task creating the cards – but well worth it in the end.

Samantha Clarke, manager at Peak Home Care, said: “Maureen’s efforts were exceptional.

“It has taken a number of weeks and some support from staff members to ensure the cards were completed in time.

“Being an ex-community nurse right up until she had her stroke, Maureen was touched by cancer in one way or another so we felt the new centre at the Royal was more than worthy of her hard work.”

Every year, 1,500 people in north and north east Derbyshire are told they have cancer.

The new centre promises to transform cancer services for people across the area.

It will combine the current outpatient chemotherapy and day unit services in one purpose-built centre.

New chemotherapy suites will have the space and equipment to treat 25 people at one time – a marked improvement on the current oversubscribed capacity of eight.

For more information about the centre and to donate, visit www.macmillanbuilds.co.uk/the-chesterfield-royal-macmillan-centre