County Durham cancer Charity delighted with Tesco donation

The Melanoma-Me Foundation, based in Chester-le-Street, was awarded the grant through Tesco’s Stronger Starts scheme.

The programme distributes funding to charities and community organisations that support children and young people, with awards of £500, £1,000, or £1,500.

Kerry Rafferty, chief executive at Melanoma-Me Foundation, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Tesco for their generosity in helping us continue delivering these essential services.

“Unfortunately, compared to other cancers, melanoma is usually under-represented, which makes our network even more crucial.

“Living with melanoma is life-changing, not only for the patients but also for their loved ones.

“Many people often feel isolated and struggle to cope with the impacts of the disease.

“As a charity that specialises in providing emotional support, we exist to make sure no one goes through this experience alone.”

The foundation provides free counselling to individuals and families affected by melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

It also offers one-to-one support, group sessions, and access to holistic therapies.

The charity’s group sessions are held three times a month on Tuesdays, and include meditation and mindfulness activities between 11am and 2pm.

Claire De Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: “We’re delighted that we can help organisations such as the Melanoma-Me Foundation which are at the heart of their communities.

“Tesco Stronger Starts invites our customers to vote using their blue token for local schemes that they feel are important to help our communities thrive, and it’s good to see the impact that the funding makes.”

The Stronger Starts programme is run in partnership with the Groundwork charity.

Customers in County Durham can help decide future winners by placing their Tesco blue token in the relevant voting box at the store.

Those interested in learning more about Melanoma-Me Foundation can visit https://melanoma-me.org.uk/.

Groups wishing to apply for Tesco Stronger Starts funding can find more information at the Tesco website.