River Island store worker kicks booze for month to raise cash for cancer fight

Nicola Macneilage, a sales advisor at River Island in Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre

A River Island store worker in the Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre has kicked booze into touch for the entire month of January.

Nicola Macneilage says her abstinence from her favourite white wine has been made all the easier by knowing that she’s doing it to raise money for the fight against cancer, the disease which she has lost a number of close relatives to, including her uncle.

Nicola, who began as a Christmas temp at River Island a few years ago and has since progressed to a full-time job as a sales advisor, is one of thousands of people across the country who have signed up for Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon.

This challenges them to give up alcohol completely from 9am on 1 January until midnight on 31 January in return for sponsorship by friends, family and workmates.

Although Nicola confesses it’s been quite a tough test of her willpower, she says she’s managed to stick faithfully to the no-booze rule.

Nicola, who lives in Littleborough, said: “I’ve never done anything like this before but when I saw details about the Dryathlon I knew I had to give it a try, especially as it is for such a good cause.

“Cancer is an absolutely horrible disease and, over the years, quite a few of my family members have passed away from it.

“The closest to me was my uncle, Stan Burdis from Rossendale, who died only about a year ago in his seventies from the lung cancer he had been fighting. He died only a few months after he was diagnosed with the disease.

“I’ve been thinking of him while I’ve been doing the Dryathlon and it’s definitely been helping me to stick it.

“My target is to raise £200 during the month. While that doesn’t sound like much, every penny we can raise will help to find a cure for cancer, which affects so many people. Up to now I’m about a quarter of the way there and I know I’m going to make it to the end.

“I’m not what you’d call a big drinker but I do enjoy putting my feet up with a nice glass of chardonnay. Since I started the challenge I can honestly say I haven’t touched a drop and have been drinking water and tea instead.”

Lorenzo O’Reilly, Rochdale Exchange Centre Manager, said: “We wish Nicola all the very best for her fundraising efforts towards a cause which so many of us can relate to and support.

“I feel sure she will be receiving lots of help from the team at River Island and from our loyal shoppers who are a generous bunch and always support charity efforts in the centre.”

Nicola explained that becoming a Dryathlete has had actually had its health benefits for her.

She added: “Since October I’ve been on a bit of a health kick and have managed to lose two stone so far. Being alcohol-free has also been helping with that because I know that since I started on the Dryathlon I’ve lost four inches off my waist size, as there’s so much sugar in alcohol.

“Quite a few of my colleagues at River Island are sponsoring me on the challenge and they are asking me all the time how I am getting on.

“My partner has also been helping me stick to it and been really good in that when he goes out to bring home a few beers for himself at the weekend, he hasn’t been asking me if I want any white wine.

“This has all been going so well that I’d definitely do some other kind of challenge to raise money for charity, either Cancer Research UK again or some other really good cause.”

You can support Nicola’s Cancer Research UK Dryathlon though her JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/nicola-macneilage-dryathlete