THE Bromsgrove branch of a blood cancer charity has achieved its goal of raising £1million in 30 years.

Since starting its first fun run in 1989, Bloodwise has held hundreds of fundraisers across the district - from bikeathons to fashion shows - to help change the lives of people living with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Chairman Nicole Harris answered an appeal for fundraisers in the Advertiser newspaper in 1988, just months before her nine-year-old son Marc died from leukaemia, and has been the driving force behind the charity's success ever since.

She announced the charity's fundraising total at a Bloodwise quiz night on Friday.

"It was a very emotional announcement to make," she said. "I am very lucky to have had fantastic committees and friends around all these years who have supported me. We were not expecting to reach the million till our 30th birthday in February.

"It has been a fantastic few months to the million but we are not giving up, and are now working for the next milestones of a million and a half. So far over £1,200 has been raised towards it."

Bloodwise Bromsgrove has already started accepting entrants to its 2018 fun runs, set to take place on May 13 starting from Bromsgrove Rugby Club.

To find out more visit bloodwise.org.uk.