Like some birds of the feathered kind, this brigade of birds is out to get you and will swoop right across Tamworth today as they seek to boost their charity funds.

It’s Red Bucket Day and the annual fundraiser of the women of the Serendipity cause, although like the Salvos used to, they will don their hats and take their buckets into the bars and backroom lounges of Tamworth pubs tonight as the preview run.

Long time Serendipity supporter Helen Tickle says about 30 women will be on the streets, in shopping centres and around sporting fields from early tomorrow morning asking locals to drop their loose change to boost their bucket tally.

According to Ms Tickle, the women will be easily recognisable by their red caps and red buckets – and the identity and name badges they’ll sport on their shirts.

As they have for the past 15 years the bucket day has been run, the funds will stay local and basically help women who’ve suffered from breast cancer.

Now, the funds have also broadened their reach and while some of the money still helps provide some small comfort things for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, they also go towards another exciting program that is supporting cancer sufferers.

One of Serendipity’s favourite causes is the $43 million North West Cancer Centre opened in Tamworth last year. 

Serendipity has committed to the financial underwriting of a $20,000 scholarship targeted at a rural student studying radiation therapy at the University of Newcastle. 

Serendipity president Ruth Campbell says radiation therapy professionals are hard to come by and hard to retain, so the NWCC’s goal is of course, to help offset the cost of living away from home, and for the student in turn, to undertake their practical placements at NWCC, and return to take up a position at the NWCC on completion of their studies. 

The red buckets have brought in about $4000 each year from the Serendipity stroll around city streets and the group hopes to at least match that this year.