TAKE home one of these daffodils and help Worcestershire and Herefordshire cancer patients - that's the message from a charity.

Adela Shepherd at Marie Curie Cancer Care in Worcestershire is asking residents to take home fabric daffodils in support of the charity's Great Daffodil Appeal.

The appeal is the charity's biggest annual fund-raising event and this year it aims to raise at least £3m.

Ms Shepherd said: "However, we will only be able to reach this target with the help of volunteers and we are also appealing to the people of Hereford and Worcester to get involved.

"Volunteering is easy, sociable and fun to do and by getting involved you will be helping terminally ill cancer patients across Hereford and Worcester to have the choice to be cared for by a Marie Curie nurse at home.

"On average just two hours handing out daffodils in exchange for a suggested £1 donation will raise enough money to pay for a whole night of nursing care from a Marie Curie nurse.

"The more people the charity can get out on the streets the more cancer patients we can help."

The Great Daffodil Appeal, supported by Yellow Pages, is a month-long drive held every March to raise funds for the Marie Curie Nursing Service.

Marie Curie nurses provide free care that enables terminally ill cancer patients to have the choice to die home surrounded by their loved ones.

If you have a spare couple of hours to help either through collecting, co-ordinating collections or helping out behind the scenes, call Penny Reeves on 0117 942 7132 or e-mail penny.reeves@

mariecurie.org.uk