Owners of Bootle-based JWT Commercial, Jonathan Whiteley and Tom Gallagher, embarked on a fundraising drive for North West Cancer Research, a Liverpool-based charity

A Merseyside haulage firm has raised thousands of pounds for cancer research by sending a ‘charity truck’ around the UK, covering more than 80,000 miles.

Owners of Bootle-based JWT Commercial, Jonathan Whiteley and Tom Gallagher, decided to embark on a fundraising drive for North West Cancer Research (NWCR), a Liverpool-based charity that has raised millions of pounds to help fight cancer.

The idea came from one of their employees, Owen McCann, and they persuaded 16 businesses to donate to NWCR in return for having their logo on the side of the specially commissioned DAF XF model truck.

Awards ceremony

It raised more than £5,500 for the charity and the efforts were recognised at the NWCR’s 70th anniversary awards ceremony in Liverpool where JWT was handed the Corporate Support Award.

Mr Whiteley said: “We are all very grateful to have been selected for this award. Every day, our trucks travel hundreds of miles across the UK and last year we had the idea to use one to raise money for cancer research.

“As we are a Merseyside-based business, when we heard about the ground-breaking work North West Cancer Research has done in the region, we knew it was our charity of choice and we hope to be able to continue supporting the charity in the future.”

Leading charity

The gala dinner took place last weekend to honour the efforts of the charity’s life-long fundraisers and researchers. Together they have helped the organisation become one of the leading independent cancer research charities in the region.

In the last 18 years the charity has supported £39m worth of research across the North West, supporting ground-breaking projects at University of Liverpool, Lancaster University and Bangor University.

Special guests included Lord Mostyn, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, as well as Roger Phillips who hosted the evening’s awards.

Alastair Richards, chief executive of North West Cancer Research, said: “The awards allowed us to reflect on their collective achievements so far. As well as looking back, it also gives us a chance to look forward to the future.

“We are currently funding 50 research projects and our network of fundraisers is growing every day, helping us continue to fund innovative life-saving research here in the North West.”