With coronavirus restrictions meaning the Rosemere Cancer Centre coffee shop is closed, the volunteers who manage and run it have been keeping spirits up to treat centre staff this year.

Since January this year, a group of 14 volunteers, including coffee shop manager Marion Jackson, have been knitting Easter chicks.

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The team now have a collection of 300, each of which has been given a Cadbury’s Crème Egg – donated by other volunteers on the coffee shop’s database – ready for delivery to the cancer centre’s radiotherapy, oncology and chemotherapy teams in time for Easter.

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Marion said: “One of our volunteers, Joan Phillips, always knits Easter chicks, which are given chocolate eggs and sold on a table by our coffee shop serving hatch to raise money, like the coffee shop itself, for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

“When coronavirus restrictions closed us last year, Joan had her 2020
consignment of chicks left over so we decided to add to their number so this
Easter, we could treat all the cancer centre’s staff, who are among our best
customers so have missed us a lot over the last 12 months.

“Those of us able to knit from a pattern have knitted and our non knitters have donated eggs. It’s been a team effort.”

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Dan Hill, chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation, who will be distributing the chicks to the various teams, said: “The coffee shop volunteers always go above and beyond in their support for us and the cancer centre and this is another example of their commitment.

“We are extremely grateful for the chicks and the odd Easter bunny too and
know they will be much appreciated by all the staff receiving them.

“Along with the centre’s patients, they have missed the coffee shop’s excellent brews, toasted teacakes, sandwiches and other goodies but most of all, they have missed the lovely smiles, welcome and kind words of support from the volunteers behind its counter.

“It is our sincere hope that this summer, we will be able to re-open the coffee shop.”

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Have you been participating in any Easter crafts? Let us know in the comments below.