Ludlow Cancer Support Group recently invited Rachel Ryan, a community fundraiser for Marie Curie, to talk to the group because the family of one of their members had derived great comfort from the charity.

LCSG treasurer Howard Goslyn presented Rachel with a cheque for £450 on behalf of the group.

Marie Curie is a UK charity that provides end-of-life care and support. Their nurses care for people with terminal illnesses in their homes, offering support and care for several hours at a time.

But the charity has no hospices or nurses in Shropshire. Many of Ludlow Cancer Support Group members have been supported by Severn Hospice, which cares for people in their own homes in towns and villages across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales, and provides hospice accommodation in Shrewsbury and Telford with specialist care day and night.

In March this year, Ludlow Cancer Support Group donated £900 to Severn Hospice, and wishes it could support every hospice in the UK.

LCSG was founded to offer fun, friendship and laughter, and their meetings reflect this.

Sometimes, though, they take the difficult decision to discuss aspects of life that ultimately affect everyone – like dying, death and bereavement.

One in four people won’t get the care and support they need. And the problem is growing, fast. People in the UK are living longer, with multiple and more complex health challenges. By 2048, the need for end of life care will have increased by up to 25 per cent.

For further information about LCSG, visit ludlowcancersupport.org.