Ospreys Support Macmillan

With your support we managed to sell the 5,000 shirts produced, but such was the level of interest that we now wish that we had produced more, as we could have helped the charity even further. To say we are extremely grateful is an understatement, so on behalf of us all at the Ospreys, please accept our sincere thanks and gratitude for helping to make a significant difference to the lives of people who benefit for the excellent work of Macmillan Cancer.

We are delighted to provide below a note from Macmillan, the contents of which say it all.

Thank you so much for the £15,000 you have raised for people affected by cancer. A donation from each replica Ospreys shirt sold was donated to Macmillan meaning that simply by supporting your team you have made a big difference to some of the people who are helped by our services.

Macmillan helps to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. We are a source of support: providing practical, medical, emotional and financial help right across Wales and the rest of the UK. We are a force for change: listening to people affected by cancer and working together for better cancer care. And with your continued support we can fulfil our ambition of reaching every single person who is diagnosed with cancer by 2010. This year Macmillan has committed to invest nearly a million pounds in Swansea's Singleton hospital alone to help people in the South West Wales area throughout their cancer treatment and beyond.

Your £15,000 is enough to pay for:

· A benefits adviser for almost six months, providing benefits advice and support for around one hundred people.

· Running our Cancerline telephone helpline for long enough to provide over one thousand people with essential information, practical and emotional support.

We would also like to thank all of you who helped create a huge stir by responding to Ospreys and Wales captain Ryan Jones's call to join our World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Last year, this event raised £280,000 in Wales and your support will help us to smash that record this year.

More than 100,000 people in Wales are living with or beyond cancer. One in three of us will get cancer and, through friends and relatives, we are all affected by it. Cancer doesn't discriminate between the sexes, but not enough men are getting the support they need. Men are more likely to delay seeing a doctor - whether through fear, embarrassment or failing to recognise common warning signs. Prompt treatment often has a better chance of working, so it is important to see your GP if you are worried about cancer. This is why we have been working particularly hard to reach more men and to show them how our services improve their lives.

As part of the largest sponsorship deal in Welsh regional rugby, npower renewables is supporting the Ospreys for a fourth successive year. Macmillan and npower have been working together since 2004 in a partnership that is worth over £2 million to Macmillan. Not only does npower raise vital funds for Macmillan through staff fundraising but they also share their knowledge and expertise. Together, we have also recently been exploring ways of addressing the fuel poverty experienced by many people living with cancer.

For further information about getting involved with Macmillan, please visit us at http://www.macmillan.org.uk/southwestwales%20or%20call%2001792%20540079.

If you have any concerns or questions about any aspect of living with cancer, please call us on 0808 808 2020. Your call is free and will be treated confidentially (lines open 9am - 9pm, Mon to Fri).