Jessie Wallace joins fight to beat breast cancer

Press release For immediate release: 19 January 2009 Press contact: Katie Power, 020 7749 3720 kpower@breastcancercampaign.org Jessie Wallace joins fight to beat breast cancer Jessie Wallace helped Breast Cancer Campaign get a step closer to beating breast cancer yesterday (18 Jan) by accepting a cheque on its behalf worth over £416,000, donated by charity partner Debenhams. The TV star and fitness fan accepted the cheque at Debenhams flagship store on Oxford Street while cheering on staff as they took part in ‘cycle to the moon’ fundraising activity. Debenhams has supported Breast Cancer Campaign since 2001 and raised £416,453 for the charity in 2009 from the sale of various products and staff fundraising activities. This included sales of the charity’s official wear it pink t-shirts, designed by the likes of Jasper Conran and Julian Macdonald, which Jessie kindly modelled to help raise money for Campaign. Debenhams staff across the UK and Ireland also raised funds by attempting to ‘cycle to the moon’ throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Fitness leader Jessie cheered on staff as Senior Debenhams Manager, Nadia Ohaka, and Breast Cancer Campaign’s Director of Fundraising, Liz Monks, took to the pedals themselves today to appreciate how much effort staff put in to support the charity. Jessie 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. Breast cancer survival rates have improved dramatically over recent years, but it’s still the sad truth that one in nine women will be affected by the disease in their lifetime. So it’s vital that we continue to support charities like Breast Cancer Campaign and hopefully this donation will help them beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research.” To date Debenhams has raised over £2.3 million for Breast Cancer Campaign. Funds raised in 2009 will go toward ten different research projects across the UK and Ireland, including Dr Maher’s project at Kings College, London, where researchers have developed a new way for the body to detect and fight breast cancer. 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 London 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 ENDS Picture caption: Jessie Wallace with Debenhams Senior Store Manager, Nadia Ohaka, (left) and Breast Cancer Campaign’s Director of Fundraising (right). Jessie Wallace takes to the pedals with Debenhams Senior Store Manager, Nadia Ohaka, (left) and Breast Cancer Campaign’s Director of Fundraising (right). (Debenhams and Breast Cancer Campaign staff behind, from left to right – Umme Rumman, Shamima Begum, Sarah Lock, Sarah Davis, Daniel Cornes, Louise Garrahan, Okath Huma, Emily Snelling, Fran Akamessan and Christina Partakides.) 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 112 research projects, worth almost £16.8 million, in 42 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 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.

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