Wear pink and support breast cancer awareness event

Back from left, Connar Walford, Ben Conway, Sam Whittaker, Nadine Doutre, Natalie Dutka-Bowskill, Claire Tewkesbury, Thomas Minsaas, Alex Cole and David Ayton with front from left, James Belmonte, Rhiannon Jenkins and Oludolapo Bolaji Picture: Sarah Standing (161408-4661)

Tomorrow charity Breast Cancer Now is holding is annual fundraising day which encourages people to wear pink.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and throughout the month businesses and groups hold events for breast cancer.

In Portsmouth, retailers, supermarkets, care providers and the university have all signed up for the day.

Actress Lisa Riley is an ambassador for Wear It Pink and patron of The Kings Theatre in Southsea.

She said: ‘I am so proud to be part of Wear It Pink 2016.

‘It’s such a fantastic, fun-filled event, which gets friends, family and colleagues together in support of Breast Cancer Now.

‘I lost my beautiful mum to breast cancer in 2012 and so I know the devastating effect this awful disease can have.

‘Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in the UK.

‘Every year, Wear It Pink raises money to help Breast Cancer Now fund research into how to prevent breast cancer, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it effectively to stop the disease taking lives.’

As previously reported in The News, the Raising and Giving Society from the University of Portsmouth dressed in pink last week.

It is hoping to raise £2,000 with its Turn Pompey Pink campaign for Breast Cancer Now.

David Ayton, raids and development officer at Rag, said: ‘This is something we have done for the past couple of years for Breast Cancer Now.

‘The response from students was fantastic. They have been showing lots of interest.’

Breast Cancer Now raises awareness for breast cancer as well as leading research projects into the illness.

Havant-based company Action Coach dressed in pink yesterday. They also had a cake sale and a raffle to raise money.

Employee Katarina Karaskova said: ‘This is the first time we have taken part in Wear It Pink, but it is something we would like to do again.

‘The team made a really good effort with dressing in pink and we also had the cake sale and raffle which was really good.

‘It is great to see other businesses take part in the day because raising money and awareness for breast cancer is important.’

For more information visit wearitpink.org.