Please think pink to beat breast cancer

Dear Editor, Many readers will be thinking of loved-ones during the current breast cancer awareness month, having seen the devastating impact it can have.

We’re encouraging everyone to gather friends, family or colleagues for a Big Pink party to support people living with and beyond breast cancer.

A Big Pink party has unlimited possibilities – it could be a dress-down day at work, a bake sale at your local club or a pink-themed night in with friends.

Breast Cancer Care will provide a free fundraising kit with everything you need to plan your Big Pink.

All money raised will help the charity continue to be there for the 691,000 people living with breast cancer in the UK; £30 could give specialist info and support through the helpline.

Get your free fundraising kit at breastcancercare.org.uk/october Samia al Qadhi, chief executive, Breast Cancer Care

Dear Editor, This autumn, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is calling on the nation to take on its Makeover Challenge by giving their homes a fresh new look using items bought at BHF stores.

From upcycling a pre-loved piece of furniture to refreshing a whole room, the BHF is encouraging interiors enthusiasts, bargain hunters and those on a budget to get involved.

Simply head to your nearest BHF home store to find items that will give your home a seasonal update, then share the new looks on social media with the #BoughtatBHF hashtag.

Every item sold in BHF stores helps to raise money to transform the lives of people living in the UK with heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes.

Each year heart and circulatory diseases kill around 15,300 in Scotland and currently 685,000 people in the country are living with them.

It’s essential that we continue to accelerate research into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat these terrible conditions.

BHF furniture and home stores offer the perfect solution for students, first time buyers and savvy shoppers seeking affordable homeware, with sofas from £95 and wardrobes from £40.

To find out more and for your nearest BHF store head to www.bhf.org.uk/ makeover. Phil Dent Regional Manager at the British Heart Foundation