Business as usual for Woods Farm Shop devastated by bird flu as they take part in Rosemere Cancer Foundation's christmas raffle

Staff at family-run Woods Farm Shop in Knoll Lane, Little Hoole have provided gifts of vouchers and other goodies as prizes for Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s annual Christmas raffle, despite having had to cull their flock of Christmas turkeys, endure a three-day shop shut down and a host of restrictions on their farm following a confirmed case of bird flu in late October.

Proprietor John Woods and his team, including wife Cathy, dad Mick and sons Danny and Ben, were determined to keep up their support of Rosemere Cancer Foundation, which began in 2019, and to thank the local community for support shown to them.

John said: “It’s business as usual right up until Christmas Eve now at the shop. We are very grateful to our farming friends and family, who have supplied us with turkeys for Christmas, and also eggs, as we wait to be in a position to re- stock our own farm. We’d also like to thank our customers for continuing to shop with us.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s raffle, which has a first prize of £1,000, will be drawn on Friday, December 9, and tickets can be bought at www.rosemere.org.uk.

Dan Hill, chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation, commented: “We are very grateful to the Woods family for continuing to support us despite the issues they have and are continuing to face. We are all part of the same community. The Woods family has remained loyal to us just as their farming family, friends and farm shop customers have all remained loyal to them. The seasonal message in there is that by coming together to help one another, we can make any situation that bit better and more bearable.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation fundraises to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients being treated at eight hospitals throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria, as well as at Rosemere Cancer Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital – the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre. The charity funds cutting edge equipment, research, training and other cancer services and therapies that are beyond limited NHS resources.