Our Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022 charities
At Little Greene, we are proud to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October, making a donation from each paint and wallpaper sale to a number of small charities. As the month is all about awareness, we'd like to share some more information about our selected charities...
This year, we have selected four charities who focus on providing emotional and practical support. Whether these are hospitals, care centres or online support groups, each charity provides vital help to those affected by breast cancer. The charities we are supporting this year are: Yeovil Hospital Charity, The Christie Charitable Fund, Flat Friends and Keeping Abreast.
Our Creative Director, Ruth Mottershead, writes:
“Whilst there are a number of large charitable organisations doing incredible work raising funds for cancer research, it’s wonderful for us to be able to support such a worthy group of smaller, local charities, who offer much needed help for those going through an incredibly traumatic time. Our aim with this campaign is to ensure no one goes through treatment without somewhere to turn to for emotional support or a space to share their experiences.”
Learn from the charities themselves about how our donations will make a difference…
James Kirton, Head of Fundraising at Yeovil Hospital Charity writes: “We are raising funds for the area’s first dedicated Breast Cancer Unit because we want breast cancer patients to have all of their tests and appointments in one place. At the moment, people have to get undressed in different locations and there is nowhere private for people to spend time after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“With the help of Little Greene and all of their wonderful customers, we are going to build a specialist unit which will have all of the facilities that are needed, including lots of comfortable space for difficult conversations.”
Sarah Coombes from Flat Friends writes: “This year we have started running face-to-face group meet ups across the UK, these take place every 2-3 months and we subsidise refreshments for all attendees.
“We are currently organising our annual weekend which women can attend and take part in free activities. This will be taking place in June 2023, and we hope to subsidise attendance as much as possible to enable as many women as possible to join us. We are also working closely with a university research team to develop a short to medium term project investigating access to flat mastectomy surgery across the UK.”
Flat Friends offer a range of practical support to women who are facing mastectomy and considering their options. Through the funds raised by Little Greene:
- £1 could print 50 Flyers to be displayed in waiting rooms and supplied in breast cancer information packs to newly diagnosed women.
- £5 could print 25 Patient Information Booklets to be given to women facing mastectomy without immediate reconstruction.
- £11.50 could send 1 pack of 25 booklets and 50 flyers to a hospital. In 2019, 226 packs were sent out.
- £27 could keep the website and online forum running for one month.
The Christie Charitable Fund writes: “Charitable support from companies like Little Greene help us increase access to cutting edge cancer medicines through the development of our Breast Cancer Research outreach team. This team will educate and facilitate access to the very best treatment innovations for all regardless of where they live, which can potentially extend and save lives.”
Recent work shows that there is three times more research participation in affluent areas in Greater Manchester than in more deprived or ethnically diverse areas. The Christie aims to reduce this social inequality and increase access to cutting edge cancer medicines through the development of a Breast Cancer Research outreach team.
Over the past three years, they have recruited a full-time Advanced Nurse Practitioner and a Breast Cancer Research Nurse who are based within the Breast Cancer Research team at The Christie.
Your donations will make vital contributions to supporting these ongoing roles, ensuring equal opportunities and equity of service for all breast cancer patients across Greater Manchester.
Jenny Bond, Fundraising Officer at Keeping Abreast, writes: “The loss of a breast is life changing for women, affecting their mental wellbeing on many levels. Keeping Abreast provide information, emotional and practical support from a place of real personal experience and understanding. 1 in 7 women will get Breast Cancer. Reconstruction aims to improve body image and self-esteem, helping the process of mental health recovery.”
“The funding will be used for essential running costs of the charity, enabling support to women to help improve their mental wellbeing when they’re faced with many emotions and overwhelmed with information.”
Alongside person-to-person support, Keeping Abreast provides the following services which are facilitated by generous fundraising and donations:
- Issuing Comfort & Care Bags to hospitals for ladies who are undergoing surgery
- Sending Pink Packs to hospitals for ladies who are in discussions regarding surgery.
- Providing information and support leaflets and posters to hospitals
In 2022, Keeping Abreast celebrates its 15 Year Anniversary. As part of this, they have a crowd funder to reach £15,000 by the end of the year.
Show your support with our limited-edition Sample Pot Pin Padge. At £2.50 each, all proceeds will be donated to our chosen charities.
