Wear it Pink - a fun day with a very serious message

Workers at Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) have raised £400 after taking part in the annual Wear it Pink day for Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s largest breast cancer charity.

It’s the ninth year the Oldham-based firm, which makes and supplies board, doors, fittings and accessories for the fitted furniture industry, has supported the good cause.

And while it is always an opportunity to brighten up the day (literally) by wearing something pink in return for a donation, behind the fun, there’s a very serious purpose.

According to Breast Cancer Now:

* About 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.

* Breast cancer can affect men too – 370 were diagnosed last year.

* Breast cancer is the UK’s most common cancer with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes.

* One in seven women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

This year’s £400 takes HPP’s fundraising total to more than £3,000 in the years the Scottfield Road firm has been fundraising for Wear it Pink.

The fundraising was first instigated by HPP HR Manager Carole Hamnett-Sadler, but the cause has been championed by Assistant Marketing Manager, Kenika Gumbs, for the past two years.

Kenika said: “We foster a compassionate and inclusive workplace here at HPP, where supporting good causes is a regular priority.

"Wear it Pink is an important opportunity to spread breast cancer awareness and empower those affected by it.”

A new ingredient in this year’s proceedings was a bake and cake sale.

While some staff brought in beautiful home-made cakes and cookies, Kenika added pink cakes, cookies, donuts, chocolate bars and canned drinks from Asda – which has partnered with Breast Cancer Now this year by donating all profits from goods carrying a ‘tickled pink’ sticker to the charity.

She added: “I went around with my pink afro wig on encouraging everyone to donate for a good cause.

"I'm all about creating change for the better for others.

"And I know this will help in such a big way for Breast Cancer Now.”

Over the last 30 years, Breast Cancer Now has invested over £299m in world class breast cancer research.

It is currently funding around 100 cutting-edge projects to discover how to prevent breast cancer, save lives, and help people to live well with and beyond the disease.

And as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, which ends on Thursday, Breast Cancer Now is calling for all women to ‘Touch. Look. Check.’ regularly to spot any unusual changes.

Research commissioned by the charity, showed that over two in five (44%) UK women don’t check their breasts regularly (less than at least once every month, or don’t know how often they check) for possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer; a worrying increase compared to last year (41%).

According to the YouGov survey, one in 10 (10%) UK women revealed they’ve never checked their breasts, and 13% check at least once a year or less.

If you’re worried about breast cancer, or have a question about breast health, Breast Cancer Now has expert nurses available on its free Helpline on 0808 800 6000, or visit: forum.breastcancernow.org

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