Hereford Times:

AN anonymous £3,000 represents the biggest single boost yet to the Hereford Times/Hereford Haven One in Eight appeal.

The cheque was delivered in person to The Haven, St Owen Street, Hereford, on Monday.

But the deliverer was adamant about not leaving a name to stunned Haven staff.

"Obviously we have to respect their wish, but we're incredibly grateful," said Haven Fundraising manager Frankie Devereux.

That £3,000 takes the two week total for One in Eight to £4,719 at the time of going to press.

Mordiford primary school made the next biggest donation of the week with £627 from its Monnow Swamp Monsters mud runners.

And The Haven knows another £1,000 is on its way to One in Eight from Herefordshire Masonic Province.

Rev David Bowen, Provincial Grand Master of the Herefordshire Freemasons, and senior mason Allan Lloyd called at The Haven last week to make the pledge in person - and challenge other charitable organisations to match it or raise it.

Everything raised through One in Eight goes towards the £30,000 The Haven needs for a new specialist nurse to help handle the 300 new referrals - at least - it now expects each year.

Those statistics mean one in eight women in Herefordshire can now expect to be affected by breast cancer at some point in their lives.

If the Haven can cover the £30,000 cost of that new nurse for a year, it is confident of being able to fund the post for itself in future as income rises with increased visitor numbers.

Mrs Devereux says the £30,000 can be set against the £270,000 a year it now takes to run The Haven.

With no government funding, The Haven is entirely dependent on charity and, particularly, it's network of Guardians, Trusts and community fundraisers.