A charity which helps children and young people with cancer get the right support at the right time has received a helping hand from Treswithian Downs Crematorium.

Young Lives vs Cancer has been presented with a cheque for £2,000 from the crematorium towards its work.

Treswithian Downs Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 40 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.

Westerleigh Group prides itself on providing exceptional care to the bereaved, the standards of which are inspected by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) in England and Wales, and the Scottish Government.

The crematorium’s donation came from its metal recycling scheme.

With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled, and any money raised is used to support selected charities, local activities and environmental initiatives which benefit the communities that the crematorium serves.

Treswithian Downs Crematorium Manager Kathy Green said: “This money will provide 50 stays for families from across Cornwall whose children require cancer treatment in Bristol.

“Having previously worked within paediatric services in the NHS, I know how vital it is to keep families together when a child or young person is undergoing treatment, not only for the child or young person themselves, but for the whole family unit.

“My team and I are so pleased to be able to support a charity which makes such a positive difference to the lives of local families.

“We are already planning our next event to raise further funds for Young Lives vs Cancer which will enable even more stays for local families, so that they can support their children when they are undergoing treatment.”

Katherine Sawyer, fundraising and engagement manager from Young Lives vs Cancer – Devon, Cornwall & Somerset, said: “We are so grateful to Treswithian Downs Crematorium and Westerleigh Group for this very generous donation.

“This money will be spent at our Home from Home in Bristol, that provides free accommodation to families from Cornwall when they need to access cancer treatment for their children.

“A cancer diagnose is, of course, incredibly difficult for any family but for those living in Cornwall, this is made even more difficult when they face the daunting prospect of having to spend extended periods of time many miles from home.

“Our Homes from Home aim to offer a refuge and keep families together at the most difficult of times.”

For more information about Treswithian Downs Crematorium, as well as the exceptional care and support it provides to the bereaved in creating uniquely personal funerals and memorials for their loved ones, visit www.treswithiandownscrem.co.uk.

For more information about Young Lives vs Cancer, visit: www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk