SUPERHEROES have helped raise thousands of pounds to support ill patients at an annual event.

The team behind Invasion Colchester presented cheques to St Helena Hospice and the Colchester Hospitals Charity to support nursing heroes.

This year’s Invasion Colchester event was the most successful yet in the seven years it has been running.

Organisers Kerrie-Ann Williams and Simon Leonard handed over more than £6,000 for the Cancer Centre Campaign which aims to bring all cancer services together.

The new cancer centre would be purpose made for chemotherapy and haematolo - gy services and would be next to Colchester General Hospital’s radiotherapy centre.

Caroline Bates, CoHoC’s head of fundraising, said: “Invasion gets better and better every year and we love being part of it.

“Every year the amount raised for the cancer centre increases and this year was no exception.

“This year’s £6,591 donation helped push the campaign total to just over £2.67 million.

“We are grateful to Simon and Kerrie the organisers and we are already working with them to plan next year’s Invasion and Super Stars Abseil.”

Earlier this year staff and members of the public abseiled down Colchester Town Hall to raise money for the appeal which needs to raise £3.25 million by February.

The organisers of Invasion Colchester also visited St Helena Hospice staff at the Inpatient Unit in Colchester.

The day raised £5,321 for the hospice and Ruth Crane, community partnerships fundraising manager, said it was an incredible total.

She said: “We’re so grateful.

It means a lot to our charity community groups continue to support us year after year, and we’re very honoured to be a beneficiary from such an amazing event which literally invades the town.

“We’re super excited to see what next year holds.”

Invasion Colchester features characters from Star Wars, Disney and comic books to entertain visitors to Colchester town centre.

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