Fratton Tesco store sign up to support Blue Day for final time

A SUPERMARKET will be challenging its staff to bake cakes to raise money for this year's Blue Day.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st May 2018, 06:00 BST
Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)
Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)

On Friday, Tesco Extra in Fratton, Portsmouth, will be holding the competition to support the Tom Prince Cancer Trust.

The event marks 10 years since Blue Day, backed by The News, was launched and will be the final one organised by the trust.

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Since opening, Tesco has taken part in every Blue Day and store community champion Gemma Morrison said staff are excited to get involved again.

Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)
Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)

‘This is the third year we have supported Blue Day and it is an event everyone gets involved with,’ she said.

‘Tom was a local lad and lived just down the road from where we are. We felt it was a charity we should be a part of and support.’

The Tom Prince Cancer Trust was created by Adele and Clinton Prince, of Haslemere Road, Southsea, in memory of their son Tom.

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The 15-year-old died in 2004 from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)
Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco Extra in Fratton, with some of the tombola Blue Day prizes last year Picture: Sarah Standing (170585-7045)

Following his death, the family set up the trust and pledged to raise £1m – a feat they completed in 2016.

Blue Day has helped raise some of that money and was launched in 2008 when Pompey reached the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Since then, on the Friday before Pompey’s final home game of the season, businesses and schools dress in up blue to show their support.

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As previously reported in The News, the £1m will start the Tom Prince Osteosarcoma Research Project based at University College London.

Having handed over the cash, this will be the final Blue Day.

Gemma added: ‘We will have colleagues dressed in blue and we are having a cake baking competition too.

‘Adele will be one of the judges and once the cakes have been judged, they will be sold with money raised going towards the Tom Prince Cancer Trust.

‘Staff are excited to get baking.’

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On the trust raising £1m, Gemma said: ‘For such a small, local charity to raise £1m is phenomenal.

‘They have done extraordinarily well and I am sure Tom would be really proud of his family and friends for achieving what they wanted.’

There is still time to sign up for Blue Day.

Visit tomprince.co.uk

Related topics:SupermarketTescoAdelePortsmouth