Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, put on a pink shirt recently to show his support for Breast Cancer Now's fundraiser, Wear It Pink. Mr Vara was showing his support along with Sky TV's sports presenter, Jacquie Beltrao.

The event on Friday 20th October 2017 will see thousands of people across the UK adding a splash of pink to their outfits to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Taking place during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, over £30 million has been raised over the last 16 years for life-saving research.

Mr Vara is encouraging residents in Huntingdonshire and Peterborough to join him and sign up to take part. In 2016, £2693 was raised by constituents from North West Cambridgeshire and Mr Vara is keen that this figure is bettered in 2017.

Anyone can take part in Wear It Pink, which brings together schools, workplaces and communities. All that people have to do is wear something pink, or hold a pink event at home, work or school, and make a donation to Breast Cancer Now. Whatever people do, they are helping the charity achieve its aim that, if we all act now, by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

Mr Vara said:

"Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. One in eight women will face it in their lifetime and every year around 11,500 women and 80 men lose their lives to the disease. It is certainly not a gender-specific condition.

This is an issue on which I have campaigned previously when I introduced a Private Member's Bill to try to increase the mandatory screening period for breast cancer.

Wear It Pink is an easy way to support the vital research being carried out by Breast Cancer Now and I would encourage as many people as possible to get involved on 20th October. Whatever you can give will help to ensure that one day anyone who develops breast cancer will survive it."

To take part in wear it pink this October, visit wearitpink.org/2017<https://wearitpink.org/2017> for further details, including fundraising ideas and to register for a free fundraising pack.

Photo: Jacquie Beltrao and Shailesh Vara at the Wear It Pink launch.