A borough cancer centre is hosting a memory walk for families and patients affected by the disease.

Bury Cancer Support Centre will host its seventh annual memory walk at its Bolton Road site on Friday, November 15 from 7pm.

The three-mile walk around Bury will be followed by a barbeque and time for families to socialise with others in a similar position.

Chair of trustees at the centre, Jeff Green, said: “The benefit of this event is that patients and families come together as a group and they’re either remembering people who have passed away from cancer or they are assisting people who have cancer.

“Events like these also give people the impetus to come in as they’ve also seen other people in a similar situation at the centre.

“It's very difficult to walk through the door of any drop-in centre, it’s a big thing deciding who to turn to when you’ve got cancer.”

The centre is celebrating its 21st year since it began offering support in 2003 and organisers hope that the event will encourage people looking for support following a cancer diagnosis to contact the charity.

The facility gives advice to patients and carers to suit their needs and offers counselling, hypnotherapy, relaxation classes, gentle taichi, yoga, as well as walking and gardening groups.

Organisers hope that there will be around 80 to 100 people to attend from all over the North West with another 20 volunteers who will prepare the food and to guide participants on the walk.

Mr Green added: “If you look around the North West there is nowhere else for someone to drop in on a daily basis.

"We are open four days a week now and we started on one morning a week in a church 21 years ago.

“The memory walk was originally set up just for the patients and families, staff and volunteers to come together, and it wasn't designed as a fundraising vehicle, but on the back of it people have raised funds for the charity as well.

“So this event is not just for our current patients but new patients as well who could come along and be encouraged to come in as we are a drop-in centre.

“All charities are in a tight position for money and we have to raise £250,000 to just keep the doors of the centre open but fundraising is not the main reason for this event, it has always been about patients and their families."

Those wanting to join the walk are advised to contact Mr Green via jeffgreen@burycancersupportcentre.com.