19 January 2010
Debenhams donates £30k to local breast cancer research
Debenhams has helped scientists at the University of Dundee get a step closer to beating breast cancer by making a massive £30,000 contribution to their research project.
The contribution was made in support of charity partner Breast Cancer Campaign which currently funds the project, which aims to find out what role dietary fat plays in breast cancer development.
Debenhams has supported Campaign since 2001 and raised a fantastic £416,453 for the charity in 2009 through the sales of in-store products and staff fundraising, bringing the total raised to date up to £2.3 million. Funds raised will go toward ten different research projects across the UK and Ireland to help Campaign build a brighter future for people with breast cancer.
TV star and charity supporter Jessie Wallace kindly accepted a cheque for the £416,453 on
behalf of Campaign yesterday (18 Jan). She said 'I'm very proud to accept this cheque on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign and would like to thank all of Debenhams staff and customers for supporting such a worthwhile cause. It's vital that we continue to support charities such as this and hopefully this donation will help them beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research.'
The project at the University of Dundee is led by Professor Colin Palmer and Dr Larry Higgins and, if successful, will provide necessary information on the role dietary fat plays in breast cancer in order to inform the public of the risk and may lead to the design of novel treatments for breast cancer.
Professor Palmer said 'We are extremely grateful for this generous contribution and would like to thank Debenhams for helping Breast Cancer Campaign continue funding our research. Survival rates have improved significantly over the last 30 years, yet around 12,000 women and 90 men will still die from breast cancer every year in the UK. It's vitally important therefore that we continue to research all areas of breast cancer in order in order to one day find a cure for this disease.'
Alison Jones, Debenhams Marketing Director, said 'We are incredibly proud to support this worthwhile cause. The partnership has become very important to us and our customers. Hopefully our contribution will not only help Breast Cancer Campaign in its mission to beat breast cancer, but also highlight the fantastic research being carried out here in Dundee and across the UK and Ireland.'
For more information about the Debenhams partnership or for details on any of Breast Cancer Campaign's research projects please call 020 7749 3700 or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org.
Notes to editors
- Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
- Currently it supports 115 research projects, worth almost £16 million, in 44 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
- In the UK, nearly 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that's 125 a day
- Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org
- Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg's blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/
- Breast Cancer Campaign urges women to be breast aware this Breast Cancer Awareness Month and
continue throughout the year as early detection can save lives. Follow the five-point code:
know what is normal for you, look and feel, know what changes to look for, report any changes
without delay and attend a breast screening if aged 50 or over. Women over 70 should contact
their GP for a referral.
Press contact: Katie Power, 020 7749 3720 kpower@breastcancercampaign.org
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902 |
