EAST LANCASHIRE united to help those living with cancer at the first county-wide Macmillan Cancer Support carol concert.

Over 200 people turned out for the event at Blackburn Cathedral tonight, which saw local musicians the Blackburn Salvation Army, ladies choir Sylvan Sound and the Arden Youth Choir from Barrowford entertain people while raising vital money.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Coun Maureen McGarvey and Ann Law-Riding were guests of honour, and Coronation Street star Sam Aston, 14, who plays Chesney Battersby-Brown, gave a reading of Ian McMillan's I Keep My Snowman In The Freezer'.

Sam, from Bacup, said: "I like to do something for the Macmillan nurses.

"I did a reading last year at Manchester Cathedral and I'm glad to do it again.

"It's a charity I'm very fond of and I hope to keep on helping them in the future.

"As long as I'm not too busy, I'll say yes."

Macmillan hoped to raise in the region of £3,000 from last night's event to help support those living with cancer in the area.

Susan Johnson, landlady of the Peel Park pub, Accrington, was at the event representing the Hyndburn committee.

She has been fundraising for 20 years and last year raised over £20,000 for the charity.

She said: "I became involved when a friend of my sister's died of cancer in her early 30s, and at this moment in time my aunty is receiving help from a Macmillan nurse.

"I think the service was lovely and I'm absolutely delighted to be here."

Janet Chatterton, 61, from the Sunnyhurst area of Darwen, lost her brother to cancer.

She said: "I think people are under the misapprehension that Macmillan nurses only come when it's the worst situation. But they help the family as well as the patient.

"When my brother died he left two young children and the nurses put us in touch with all the important people to help the children.

"They also help with things you might not think of like heating bills and transportation and grants for people."

Miriam Lord, 56, from Clayton-le-Moors, is a retired staff nurse from Blackburn Royal Infirmary and has been involved in the Hyndburn Committee of Macmillan Cancer Support since her friend Marion Imbrianana died of breast cancer 15 years ago.

Then her husband, Mike, died aged 50 six years ago from cancer of the pancreas.

Miriam said: "My husband was ill for a couple of months and died a couple of weeks after his surgery.

"This concert is emotive for me because my husband wasn't cared for in a hospice but by Macmillan nurses."

She added: "Christmas is a tough time because it seems everyone is festive and happy and you're very sad."

Ann Connell is a retired Macmillan nurse who lives in West Bradford. She said that the carol concert was "a very positive move."

She added: "Christmas is a time of giving, and it's also a very hard time for a lot of families who have been touched by touched by cancer. Sometimes events like this help."