Shoppers can boost the Telegraph & Argus Crocus Appeal at a bag-packing event on Friday.

They will be able to donate to the fund – which aims to raise £1 million – at one of three branches of Morrisons where students from the University of Bradford will help fill shopping bags with groceries.

Around 70 student volunteers will pack bags between 10am and 7pm at three stores: Westgate, Mayo Avenue and Thornbury. The students are all members of the university’s sports clubs and societies.

All the proceeds will go to the T&A Crocus Appeal which aims to buy a new mass spectrometer for the University of Bradford’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics.

The machine will allow 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 less toxic cancer treatments.

The appeal is being run in conjunction with the university, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust.

Development officer with the University of Bradford Victoria Collins said: “Students taking part come from all year groups and will be at the checkouts wearing purple Crocus Appeal T-shirts. People will be able to donate into appeal buckets.

“We’re grateful to Morrison’s for supporting the appeal and allowing our students to pack for their customers.”

Davide Calogero, head of development at the University of Bradford, said: “This is another good example of how we are working in partnership with our student body. We are thrilled by the support.”

David Hewitt, charities and communities manager with Morrisons, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue working with the appeal. Our stores involved in the bag pack are looking forward to supporting the students.”

To support the appeal, e-mail crocus@brad.ac.uk or call (01274) 233166.