Northern Ireland’s celebrity chef Paula McIntyre is backing Marie Curie Cancer Care’s 2010 Blooming Great Tea Party that takes place this summer across Northern Ireland from June 12^th to July 12^th. The TV cook known for her appearances on shows such as “Ready, Steady, Cook”, “A La Carte” and the BBC 2 series “Taste for Adventure” is urging people across the province to make a real difference to the lives of terminally ill people in their area, by raising their cups, baking buns and turning a social get together into something special.Speaking from the Marie Curie Hospice in Belfast where she was hosting a tea party to help launch the appeal, Paula acknowledged the “dedication of the Marie Curie Nurses” who work tirelessy to support local people and their families living with a terminal cancer and other illness. 

Marie Curie Cancer Care in Northern Ireland hopes to recruit a total of 450 tea party hosts to raise a staggering £110,000. Whether it is a pretty garden party, afternoon tea or just a simple gathering of friends for a cuppa, the money raised will allow more Marie Curie Nurses to provide expert end of life care, totally free, to patients in their own homes or in the hospice. Queen of cake baking, Jane Asher, is also supporting the Blooming Great Tea Party for a second year. She said: “I always enjoy a good cup of tea, a slice of cake and a get together, and I’m delighted to be supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Blooming Great Tea Party again this year. It’s so easy to get involved and every tea party you host or attend, however big or small, will help Marie Curie Nurses provide free care to patients with terminal cancer and other illnesses in the comfort of their own homes or at one of the charity’s hospices.” SUKI TEA, a local brand which provides tea lovers with the finest loose leaf tea, herbal infusions and fruit blends from around the world will support the 2010 Marie Curie Cancer Care Blooming Great Tea Party and help local fund raisers make the most of their tea parties. If you would like to hold your own Blooming Great Tea Party, please call 08700 340 040 or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty for your free fundraising pack bursting with fabulous ideas to help create the perfect party. To get help from the Marie Curie Nursing Service, talk to your GP, district nurse or discharge nurse. For more information, please visit: www.mariecurie.org.uk.