In the pink as appeal smashes £60k target

Rita Bottomley: “The people of Oldham and Rochdale have been amazing and so generous.”

Oldham’s Link4Pink appeal has smashed its target of raising £60,000 for the Royal Oldham Hospital’s new breast-care unit — and almost doubled it.

Thousands of local people have helped the charity to raise £112,000 in just 13 months.

The good news was announced yesterday, two years after Link4Pink was set up to raise money for a dedicated waiting area at the new Victoria Breast Unit for outpatient care.

The unit opened in May, 2007, and provides breast care investigation and diagnosis for Oldham and Rochdale patients.

The money will be used for a conservatory extension and refurbishment of the unit’s waiting area.

Rita Bottomley, chairman of Link4Pink, said: “The people of Oldham and Rochdale have been amazing and so generous. There are so many people I would like thank for giving up their time and donating money.

“This includes our local rugby and football clubs, community groups, local pubs who have run charity quiz nights, to individuals who have arranged coffee mornings and those who have tackled gruelling cycle rides and endurance activities. I’m absolutely delighted at the amount we have raised so far.”

Amanda Delaney, from Royton, was one of the latest fund-raisers. She took part in a Toughguy challenge, described as the ultimate endurance test.

During the one-day mental and physical survival challenge, Amanda crawled through mud, over rope ladders and down rivers. She raised £800 in memory of her mum who died of breast cancer 11 years ago, and for her grandma who has won her fight against the disease.

Amanda said: “I like to put a little back into the pot every year as my way of supporting this appeal.”

Jan Bolton, The Pennine Acute NHS Hospital Trust’s charitable fund-raising manager, said: “We are delighted that the appeal has nearly doubled our original target. But our aim now is to keep going and raise even more money to ensure the best possible facility for our patients.”

The appeal is now on target to reach £120,000 by the end of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

More information about Link4Pink is available from Tracy Knucky on 0161-656 1704 or visit online at www.pat.nhs.uk and click on ‘Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity’.