Falco’s Finance Manager and longest serving employee, Netty Barlow, has helped to launch a National Fundraising Drive for Cancer Research UK, which has been the subject of a devastating loss of funding caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following the cancellation of over 380 events which make up the Race for Life series, the charity is expecting a £160 million drop in income in the year ahead, and has had to make the difficult decision to cut £44 million in research funding.

Representing the West Midlands area, Netty has helped to launch an urgent new appeal for donations to help get life-saving work back on track.

Netty, who graduated as a Chartered Accountant last year, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma 17 years ago, shortly after giving birth. Netty underwent 12 months of intensive treatment which finished in March 2004, exactly two days after baby Rachel’s first birthday. Today Netty is cancer free and owes her recovery to the advances made in Cancer Research.

Netty has vowed to help Cancer Research UK continue with its vital work by sharing her story and encouraging others to help to make up for the mass shortfall in donations.

Netty explained “By boosting funding now, we can all help to lessen the future impact on patients. So, I hope that people in Leek and beyond will be moved by the charity’s determination to carry on beating cancer and give what they can. They could make a real difference to people like me.”

All the Falco team are very proud of Netty representing the West Midlands area for Cancer Research UK and is an inspiration to all the staff here, having had great successes with other fund raising events such as Race For Life, MacMillan coffee mornings, Comic Relief and Children in Need. Managing Director Jeremy Green said, ”Netty is an incredible person, a real star, year on year she surpasses her previous efforts and is so focused in her dedication to helping these charities, she really does deserve a medal!”.

Cancer Research UK was able to spend over £11 million in the West Midlands last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.