Charity catwalk awaits cancer survivor

A Kirkwall man who battled cancer will step on to the catwalk next week for a special charity fundraiser.

Dave Berston, who was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell cancer in 2014, will be the first Orcadian to strut his stuff at the Friends of ANCHOR Brave fashion show.

Taking place this May 16 and 17, the event at P&J Live in Aberdeen features men who have been through a  cancer or haematology diagnosis. Past events have raised almost £725,000 for the charity.

Friends of ANCHOR ships provisions to The Balfour regularly, including chemo care packs — made up of items carefully selected to make treatment a little easier — and sewn items like stoma bag covers and mastectomy cushions.

The charity can help with accommodation and transport in Aberdeen, and on the ANCHOR wards at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the team offers practical and emotional support — from offering complementary therapies and a listening service to attending appointments with patients if they’re on their own and feeling anxious.

A decade on from his diagnosis, Dave is now cancer-free, and the 59-year-old is pleased to have the support of a number of Orkney businesses as he prepares to take to the catwalk.

To donate to Dave’s fundraiser, you can visit www.facebook.com/donate/721640383507050/

Read more about his experience, and how Friends of ANCHOR supports Orcadians living with cancer, in this Thursday’s The Orcadian.