Councils light up pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

To help raise awareness of breast cancer this October, several Councils have lit up their buildings pink at the start of this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Antrim and Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, Lisburn and Castlereagh, and Mid Ulster Councils have turned their buildings pink in recognition of the 1 in 8 local women projected to face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes. With Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland aims to raise awareness of breast cancer and of the many support services available for women impacted, including the charity’s bespoke bra and swimwear fitting service, which helps women find specialist bras tailored for after their surgeries and treatments.

Celebrating the Councils’ decision to “go pink” for breast cancer, Emily Bishko, Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, comments:

“With these pink buildings and the recognition of breast cancer’s impact in our communities, we hope that the 17,750 people living with breast cancer in NI will feel less alone. Being told ‘you have cancer’ is one of the most devastating moments anyone can experience, but cancer does not have to be a lonely journey. As a charity, we are proud to provide a range of support services, from peer support groups through family support and patient driving services. For anyone impacted by cancer, including both patients and loved ones, we encourage you to reach out – we are here to help.

“The pink buildings and Breast Cancer Awareness Month also serve a second goal: to remind people to check their breasts and monitor themselves for cancer, and to attend their breast screenings. These are critical to facilitating early detection – and, in most cases, the earlier a cancer is detected, the better. As such, we encourage all women to ‘be breast aware’ through self-monitoring and screening.”

Learn more about the services available for people affected by breast cancer here and get involved with Breast Cancer Awareness Month here. Guidance for “being breast aware” is available online here or for download here.