A LOCAL charity which supports children with cancer and leukaemia has been chosen by B&Q Extra as their charity of the year.

CALM, the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement, was chosen after workers read South Swindon MP Robert Buckland’s column in the Adver which talked about the charity, as well as a story about CALM survivor Zara Holland.

To mark the launch of the partnership, members of the CALM committee were invited to the superstore.

Mr Buckland said: “I am delighted that B&Q Swindon have decided to support CALM in the coming year. It is great that the business community are getting behind this excellent charity. CALM is led by parents who have been affected by childhood cancer or leukaemia. They receive no public funding and have no paid staff or offices, yet they provide families with holidays, day trips and vital help with the costs of transport to and from hospitals.”

Staff also have personal reasons for supporting the charity. One has a daughter who had Non-Hodgkins and the family were referred to CALM. Another has a boyfriend who was helped by the charity as a teenager.