THE Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal has received a boost by being picked as a company's charity of the year.

From this week the Appeal, which aims to raise £1 million to support the work of those battling cancer in the city, will be officially supported by the Sainsbury’s Local store on Great Horton Road.

The appeal has the potential to help millions of people as it will be used to purchase a high-tech mass spectrometer - a machine which could hold the key to researchers at the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) making a vital discovery in the war on cancer.

The ICT is based at Bradford University which is working with the T&A, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust as part of the Crocus Cancer Appeal.

Store manager Zabeer Hussain said: "We chose this appeal as it touches the lives of so many people and somewhere we all know someone who can benefit from this cause.

"We will support the appeal throughout the year by arranging various fundraising events in conjunction with the university."

The head of development and alumni relations at Bradford University said: “I would like to thank Sainsbury’s on Great Horton Road for pledging their support and choosing the appeal as their charity of the year.

"The support of local businesses is vital in helping us reach our goal and I hope that as many people as possible will get involved in the store’s fundraising events.”

T&A readers can support the Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal, which started in may 2013, by organising an event or making a donation by simply texting the word CROCUS to 70800 to make a one-off donation of £5. In recognition of your donation, a single crocus bulb will be planted in a celebratory garden.

Cheques made payable to T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal or cash donations can also be dropped into our office in Hall Ings.

Lloyds banks in the Bradford area will also accept donations over the counter and have a paying-in book for this purpose.