A former regional daily journalist is organising a music festival to raise money for a charity which supported her cousin’s fight against cancer.

Former Dorset Echo reporter Laura Williams, who is now a freelance journalist, has arranged the event this month which aims to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She decided to organise the festival after nurses from the charity helped her cousin Alice Rist as she fought cancer earlier this year, with her since recovering from the illness.

The Figure 8 Festival will be held in the grounds of the True Lovers Knot pub at Tarrant Keyneston, near Blandford Forum in Dorset, from 21-23 September.

Laura said: “After years of festival going, I decided to organise this charity event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which really helped my 22-year-old cousin with her cancer battle earlier this year.

“Thankfully she’s gotten through and is now enjoying a new lease of life in Weymouth, but she couldn’t have done it without the support of family and friends and the Macmillan Cancer nurses.”

Bands from Dorset and Bristol, where Laura now lives, will feature at the event, which also includes DJs, games, children’s entertainment, bars and a barbecue.

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