A CHARITY lunch challenge has been launched by The Horn of Plenty, Gulworthy, in celebration of its seventh year to try and break its £50,000 fundraising mark for Macmillan Cancer Support.

This year the team will be raising vital funds to help provide a new cancer support worker who will support cancer patients at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and help the cancer nursing team

The Horn of Plenty, below, has been supporting Macmillan since 2012, and in that time its lunches have raised over £44,000 in donations to support the charities services based at Derriford Hospital. This year the team is hoping to hit the £50,000 mark by raising a further £6,000 from the lunches.

The lunches are available from Monday, January 8, until Wednesday, March 28, every day except Sundays.

Guests will dine for a fixed price of £16 for two courses and £20 for three courses. The locally sourced menu includes favourites such as slow cooked beef with salt baked swede, or pork belly with apple and shallots. At the end of the meal, guests are invited to make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Julie Leivers and Damien Pease have been running the hotel since 2010 and choose to continue to support Macmillan as their charity.

Julie said: “We really hope we can achieve out £50,000 goal. It’s such a deserving cause. We all know people who have been affected by cancer, so the work of Macmillan is really close to our hearts.”

Local fundraising manager for Macmillan, Sian Ward-Edwards, said: “Every year 3,500 people from Devon and Cornwall are diagnosed and treated for cancer in Derriford Hospital. We rely on donations to fund new services like this, which is why The Horn of Plenty charity lunches are so important.

“The Horn of Plenty is such a beautiful place to enjoy award-winning food. It’s a great opportunity to have a lovely lunch and to feel good about yourself. We are so grateful for everyone’s continued support.”

Anyone affected by cancer can ring the free Macmillan support line on 0808 808 0000.