Fundraisers in the pink for charity

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Link4Pink fundraisers with the Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale, the Deputy Mayor of Oldham and children's character Peppa Pig

Ladies from Rochdale and neighbouring towns came together on Sunday morning (3 July) for a sponsored walk around Hollingworth Lake to raise money for the Link4Pink Appeal.

The Link4Pink Appeal was set up in 2008 to raise money to extend the waiting room at the Victoria Breast Care Unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital. Organisers needed to raise £160,000 for a conservatory extension; they exceeded the amount and were able to work on a garden area too.

The Link4Pink fundraising committee are now continuing their fundraising to raise money for much needed equipment and to carry out further work in the garden area.

The unit is used by people from Rochdale, Oldham and Bury and patients from those towns, and their relatives, turned out for the walk – all wearing pink ‘Link4Pink’ appeal t-shirts.

They were joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale, Councillor Alan Godson and Gillian Brown who wore pink for the occasion and the Deputy Mayor of Oldham, Olwen Chadderton.

One of the walk’s organisers, Tracey Knuckey, Breast Care Personal Assistant, said: “It is £10 to register and that includes a t-shirt, then we will walk round the lake with buckets and collect on the way round, then we will return to the visitors centre for a picnic.

“It is a nice way to interact with patients.

“The aim is to raise money for the Link4Pink appeal to buy much needed equipment.”

The organisers haven’t set a fundraising target, but outgoing Chairwoman of the appeal Rita Bottomley, said: “Whatever we raise today, we didn’t have yesterday.”

Ms Bottomley was keen to make people aware that the Link4Pink appeal is ongoing and although the extension is completed money needs to be raised for other essential things.

Rochdale Councillor Janet Darnbrough, a member of the fundraising committee, also took part in the walk. Councillor Darnbrough was diagnosed with breast cancer three and a half years ago; she said the cause is “close to her heart.”

Councillor Darnbrough said the fundraising day was “essential.”

She added: “It is amazing the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer. I was flabbergasted when I first went, I couldn’t believe the numbers.”

Mayor Godson said: “The fundraising is essential, but it shouldn’t have to be. The money needs to be pumped in, it is a killer disease, I know from a bitter experience.”

Consultant Breast Surgeon at the Royal Oldham, Maria Bramley, said she was “delighted” with the turn out. She said: “We have always been very well supported by the Mayors, I must say this is the first time we have had a Mayor dress in pink!”

Deputy Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Chadderton, said: “I think the idea is marvellous and we are so lucky having such a lovely day.”