Businesses are being urged to support cancer patients and their families by helping to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society's (ICS) biggest annual fundraiser, Daffodil Day.

Daffodil Day 2019 takes place on Friday, March 22, and the ICS is appealing to companies to help support their customers and staff affected by cancer by hosting a fundraising coffee morning in work or by volunteering to sell daffodils.

Last year, Daffodil Day donations helped to fund almost 8,000 counselling sessions for people with cancer. This marks an 18% increase on the number of sessions provided in 2016. The ICS warned that with cancer diagnoses on the rise, it expects even more people to seek counselling this year.

According to ICS chief executive, Averil Power, since more people are getting diagnosed with cancer each year, ‘not everyone is getting the care and support they need'.

"We must do more to ensure we can support every cancer patient. With the help of companies and supporters on Daffodil Day, cancer patients and their families can receive free counselling sessions across the country through our affiliated cancer support centres.

"To help deliver more care and support locally, and meet increasing demands, we are asking more companies to get involved in Daffodil Day this year," Ms Power said.

Former RTE newsreader, Aenghus MacGrianna, is supporting the call to businesses to get involved. His mother died of cancer when he was just 11 years old.

"Losing mum to cancer was heartbreaking, especially as she was so young and we were still growing up. It was an extremely tough time. The ICS's free counselling sessions for families affected by cancer didn't exist when I was younger. This support, which is only available because of Daffodil Day donations, could be a lifeline for someone struggling with the impact of a diagnosis," he insisted.

He called on workplaces to get involved with this year's event, to help ensure that families ‘can receive free services and get the help they need to cope with a cancer diagnosis'.

To involve your place of work in this year's Daffodil Day, click here