FUND-RAISERS in Meirionnydd have helped raise a massive £106,000 for cancer research.

Ten fund-raising committees throughout north Wales are ending the year on a high note after raising more than £100,000 for the region’s leading cancer research charity, North West Cancer Research.

A barn dance in Harlech, a rock ‘n’ roll evening with a fish and chip supper in Holywell and a Butterfly Ball in Mold – which alone raised £6,000 – were just some of the fundraising highlights, which took place this year.

Collectively, the events contributed to a total of £106,500 for North West Cancer Research which will support potentially life-saving cancer research projects across north Wales and the North West, including at Bangor University.

The full total was announced at the charity’s annual meeting and forms part of an overall fund-raising total of £1.8m for the charity for the financial year ending September 2015.

North West Cancer Research has committed to funding more than £11.2m worth of research over the next five years.

At Bangor, this includes the introduction of equipment such as a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, as well as support for a clinical chair and several basic cellular level research projects.

The charity has funded studies at Bangor since 2004, when the North West Cancer Research Institute was first set up with a core team of just five people.

Now, more than 40 researchers from around the world work there looking at human cells to investigate tumour invasion, as the therapeutic resistance of cancer cells.

Dr Edgar Hartsuiker from the North West Cancer Research institute at Bangor said: “Our aim for the next 10 years and beyond is to expand our research capacity and incorporate more elements of translational research, helping take the research we do from the bench and to the

bedside.

“This will not only expand our research capabilities but also directly benefit cancer patients in North Wales.

North West Cancer Research is supported by a total of 10 fund-raising committees across north and mid-Wales, situated in Lanfairfechan, Aberystwyth and Bangor, Harlech, Holywell, Machynlleth, Ruthin, Tywyn, Wrexham and Mold.

Anne Jackson, CEO of NWCR, said: “Donations from our committees are an integral part of our fundraising effort.

“We know a lot of time and effort goes into organising these events with people donating their time, energy, skills and reso­urces.

“The huge amount raised reflects the members’ hard work and the generosity of the local communities, for which we are extremely grateful.”