Morrisons CLIC Sargent Charity

Daisy, with mum Jane and brother Toby

Morrisons is donating 20p from each sale of its own-label British strawberries to young people’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

The £2 packs will feature the charity’s ‘Young Lives vs Cancer’ tagline and logo and will arrive on most shelves this week. They will be available in all stores by mid-April.

“These strawberries are our first British fruit crop of the new season, which is something we look forward to every year,” said Morrisons strawberry buyer Emma Spencer. “We’re delighted to be celebrating this year by raising tens of thousands of pounds for this great cause.”

The supermarket chose CLIC Sargent as its new charity partner last month, with the aim of raising £8m over the next three years.

Some of the money raised through the partnership will go towards grants to help pay for the £600 a month extra costs parents face when their child is receiving chemotherapy.

Children and families are sharing their own strawberry recipes and personal stories on the charity’s website to help encourage sales.

Jane Wingrove’s daughter, Daisy, was diagnosed with bone cancer aged 8.

“I think it’s fantastic that just by popping into Morrisons and buying some strawberries that people can help families like ours through the hard times,” said Jane.

“Most people just don’t realise that chemotherapy can make certain foods taste disgusting, like metal. And that it can cause sores in the mouth and throat that can make swallowing difficult.

“This means that as a parent you are constantly searching for foods that your child can stomach, and catering for these rapidly changing tastes and chemo-induced cravings cost a lot of money.

“I remember that sometimes Daisy would eat nothing but packs of Parma ham or nothing but smoked salmon, then only melons and strawberries. It’s frustrating but you just want them to eat anything so they can keep their calorie level up and stay well.”

Following intensive chemotherapy and operations to remove the cancerous bone and rebuild her legs, Daisy, now 10, has learned to walk again and is back at school.