A ladies' evening held at Sheringham Masonic Centre has raised more than £600 for Norfolk and Waveney cancer charity Big C.

The annual event was hosted by Sheringham lodge worshipful master Peter Macdonald and Maggie Smee, whose husband Sam previously held the role.

Because Mrs Smee has been a volunteer at the town's Big C shop for the past seven years, she chose the charity as the beneficiary of the £620 raised from the sale of raffle tickets during the evening.

'Cancer has touched the lives of just about every family I know,' Mrs Smee said. 'And, because the money raised in all 15 Big C shops goes to support Norfolk people, I was very keen for the proceeds to go to them.'

Sheringham lodge members last year raised nearly £18,000 from donations and fundraising events, ranging from lunches and dinners, to garden parties and social evenings.

Donations have previously gone to north Norfolk groups including Mundesley First Responders, Sheringham Youth Football Club, Cromer Scouts, Mundesley pre-school group Pebbles and the Friends of Sheringham Woodfields School.

Big C chief executive Dr Chris Bushby, who visited the Station Road shop to meet staff and lodge members, said local support enabled the charity to invest in medical equipment and research.

He added: 'Norfolk people have raised more than £32 million over the past 38 years and raised £32 million last year alone. This has meant our centres have seen around 24,000 visits, whether in acute centres at hospitals, or those in communities.'

The charity, which was founded in 1980 by two men with cancer who wanted Norfolk people to have better, closer to home treatment, runs drop-in hospital support and information centres at Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Kings Lynn, also funding research and offering community, telephone and online support.

Mr Bushby said: 'Big C relies entirely on donations and not only are we very fortunate to have 380 people who regularly volunteer, but we have new people joining every week.'

For more information about Big C support and services, or to find out about becoming a volunteer, visit www.big-c.co.uk