SUPERNURSE Anne Croudass knows more than most how important your Race for Life sponsorship money is.

As Cancer Research UK's leading research nurse, Anne sees first hand how your money is being used in the fight against cancer.

Today she is urging the city's women and girls to take part in Race for Life on July 13. Anne and her team of supernurses at S o u t h a m p t o n General Hospital work with cancer patients taking part in medical trials.

The work they do is vital - administering the pioneering treatments scientists have developed.

It is all funded by donations to Cancer Research UK.

Sadly, nearly half the women who take part in Race for Life each year fail to return their sponsorship money.

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Anne fronted the Daily Echo's Do It for Anne campaign last year to raise awareness of how the money raised in Southampton is spent.

"We couldn't do it without the people who take part in Race for Life," she said. "It costs £2m a year to fund Southampton's clinical research centre so the money you have raised is being used right on our doorstep. It's cutting-edge research from working with cancer vaccines to comparing different chemotherapy regimes."

Thanks to research like this the average ten year survival rate for cancer has doubled in the last 30 years and the overall death rate has fallen by 12 per cent in a decade.

"Even if it just gives someone an extra six weeks, it could mean the world to them," said Anne. "They might get to see someone get married or reach another special day."

Organisers hope that the 10,000 women taking part in the Southampton race this year can smash their £583,000 target.

Anne and her team will be cheering them all on, handing out goodie bags at the finish line.

"It was fabulous to run the race last year and wear the number one shirt.

"This time around it will be great to be supporting in a different way.

"It's our way of saying thank you to all those people who raise money for us because we couldn't do what we do without them."

■ Enter the Southampton Race now at raceforlife.org/southwest or call 0871 641 2279 ■ Read the latest Race for Life news at dailyecho.co.uk's special Race for Life section.