A SPECIAL appeal has been launched to raise money for cancer patients across Gloucestershire.

Celebrating being charity partner of this month’s Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival, Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity has started its ‘Hit Cancer for Six!’ appeal.

Money raised will go towards the charity’s Focus Fund which provides specialist equipment and extra care for cancer patients using the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital.

Brewin Dolphin, sponsors of the Festival, will match text donations through The Brewin Dolphin Foundation, meaning that every text donation will be doubled.

Head of fundraising at Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity, Richard Smith, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival to Hit Cancer for Six and we’re hoping to raise as much money as possible to help local cancer patients.

“The donations will help us provide specialist equipment and extra care which otherwise wouldn’t be available, enabling us to provide items such as portable devices for continuous pain relief or reclining chairs which give comfort to patients receiving chemotherapy.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Brewin Dolphin Foundation and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for backing this appeal, and to all those who choose to support it.”

Edward Mawle, divisional director at Brewin Dolphin, said: “When we heard about the Hit Cancer for Six Campaign we really wanted to get behind it and matching text donations felt like an exciting way for The Brewin Dolphin Foundation to work with the local community to make a real difference.

“Every penny raised for the Focus Fund will help provide extra care for local cancer patients, and staff here at Brewin Dolphin will be encouraging as many people as we can to get involved in the campaign.”

The partnership will continue throughout the Festival, with proceeds raised on Ladies Day (July 21) when Gloucestershire take on Leicestershire, also supporting the campaign.

To donate £3 text HITC46 £3 to 70070 and this will be doubled to £6 by the Brewin Dolphin Foundation.