A CANCER support group forced to close more than a year ago will reopen next month. The St Ives Acorn Cancer Support Group has been given a �2,200-lifeline by the Grassroots fund, which is run by the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. The group has now

A CANCER support group forced to close more than a year ago will reopen next month.

The St Ives Acorn Cancer Support Group has been given a �2,200-lifeline by the Grassroots fund, which is run by the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.

The group has now also appointed a Macmillan nurse to supervise the meetings, which will now take place a new venue in Broad Leas Court, as well as in the MS Centre in Huntingdon and the Resource Centre in Ramsey.

The first meeting will take place in St Ives on August 19.

Community physiotherapist and chairman of Acorn, Karen Welch, said: "Ever since we had to close down our meetings in St Ives, our aim has been to reopen as soon as we could. We now offer a full service again and look forward to welcoming patients and carers at all three locations. We are very grateful to the community foundation, the St Ives branch of Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, St Ives Waitrose and others who have helped to make this possible."

Acorn offers a range of free relaxation therapies to its clients, including aromatherapy, reflexology and gentle Tai Chi exercises. However, the two-hour monthly meeting is also an opportunity for Acorn clients to have a chat with friends over a free cup of tea or coffee.

Acorn now needs to recruit extra volunteers to support the group in St Ives and Huntingdon and also needs to find a volunteer to shadow its centre coordinator.

INFORMATION: Anyone interested in becoming an Acorn volunteer should contact Barbara Cobb on 01487 710132. More details are available at www.acornsupportgroup.org.uk.