World Cancer Day, an international awareness event held in February, inspired staff at board, door and fittings manufacturer Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) to raise money for its local Maggie’s cancer centre.

Pictured left to right: HR manager Carole Hamnett-Sadler, marketing and business development director Dan Mounsey and assistant marketing manager Kenika Gumbs

To show solidarity, people were asked to walk, run or cycle in a 5k challenge, which was undertaken by a group of employees at the Oldham-based company.

For every kilometre completed by a member of staff, HPP, pledged to donate £1 to Maggie’s Oldham and it culminated in a cheque presentation for £350.

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HPP’s involvement in the day was organised by assistant marketing manager Kenika Gumbs, who said: “It was a great day seeing others taking part for a good cause and also sharing our stories.

“I asked a few of the ladies why they decided to participate, and it was all for the same reason; they had lost someone very dear to their hearts from cancer.

“This event was important to me because I lost my great grandfather from pancreatic cancer.

“My best friend and other people I’ve known have died from cancer as well. I’m always doing donations, but I have never done any activities, so I wanted to push myself more to get involved in this sort of awareness activity.”

Kenika Gumbs has signed up for the World Cancer Day Call to Action campaigning for governments around the world to promote health equity, enhance cancer service accessibility, reduce disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, and close the care gap.

She has also encouraged workers at HPP’s Scottfield Road HQ to wear one of the coloured ribbons that represents a type of cancer that had impacted on their lives.

“Throughout this, I have found out that a lot of people at HPP have lost someone to cancer whether that’s a colleague, friend, relative or partner,” Gumbs commented.

She added: “That showed in all the different coloured ribbons people chose to wear and illustrates the widespread impact of cancer.”

HPP is a supporter of the annual Wear it Pink day  in support of UK charity Breast Cancer Now, and raised £3,000 over the last eight years thanks to staff paying a £2 donation to wear something pink.

Employees from HPP also fundraised for local youth charity Madhlo, throughout last year, with a series of events.