A Bradford doctors’ surgery backed the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Cancer by selling sugar-free cakes on World Diabetes Day.

Noreen Rashid, practice manager at Bilton Medical Centre, decided to “kill two birds with one stone” by raising awareness of diabetes at the same time as collecting cash for our £1 million fundraising campaign to fight cancer.

The surgery is one of a number across the city to sell the T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal pin badge to boost the appeal, which aims to buy Bradford University’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics a new mass spectrometer.

The machine will allow its scientists to study the role of proteins in cancer ten times faster than ever before and could hold the key to a major breakthrough in developing new, less toxic cancer treatments.

Noreen said: “The T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal is such a great cause. I’ve lost a family member and a friend to cancer, so it’s something that I feel very strongly about.

“I knew World Diabetes Day was coming up, so I decided to combine the two and kill two birds with one stone.”

By lunchtime, the surgery had diagnosed one new diabetic patient by doing a finger-prick test.

Helped by a raffle to boost the coffers, by the end of the day, the practice had raised a total of £280 for the appeal.

Other medical practices throughout the city and district supporting the appeal include: Farfield Group Practice; Dr Longfield & Partner; Addingham Medical Centre; Sunnybank Medical Centre; Moorside Surgery; Grange Medical Centre; Low Moor Medical Centre and The Ridge Medical Practice.

It is hoped more medical centres and organisations will now be inspired to support the cause.

If you would like to support the appeal, e-mail d. taj@bradford.ac.uk or call (01274) 233166.

The T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal is being run with the University, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust.