COLLEAGUES at the Asda Wrexham store have taken the ‘Pink Pledge’ – an online initiative set-up by the retailer to help drive awareness around the importance of regular breast checking and the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Across all departments, colleagues have been dressing in bright pink Tickled Pink t-shirts and tutu’s in aid of raising awareness of the fantastic cause and raising as much money as they can.

Hayley Howe a section leader at the Holt Road supermarket took part in an in-store sponsored silence which saw her raise £352 thanks to donations of customers and colleagues alike.

She said; “I really wanted to be involved in doing something extra to help raise funds for Tickled Pink this year so thought I’d do an in-store sponsored silence. I had to wear a sticker that explained to customers that I was unable to speak, and the reaction was just brilliant.

“Everyone was really supportive, although I think the regulars were a bit disappointed that I wasn’t available to have a chat with them. I couldn’t believe I’d managed to raise over £350 just by shutting up for a day – I’d gladly do it again.”

It’s not just the colleagues throwing themselves into the cause but the Brynteg, Bradley and Wrexham Cadets Detachment, from the Clywd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force have made Tickled Pink their charity partner for the year. The cadets have already raised £600 through a fundraising bag pack in store and have another one planned.

Captain Mervyn Jones from the Clywd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force said; “We’re thrilled to announce that ‘Tickled Pink’ is our chosen charity for this year and are more than happy to dedicate our time to fundraising for such a wonderful cause.

“Our last bag pack saw us raise over £600 and we’re hoping the next one will exceed that target, so we can help as many people as we can in their fight against cancer.”

It’s not only word of mouth that’s getting the message out there but also some clever use of labels with ‘surprise’ stickers on a variety of products in-store, from melons to bread baps, to encourage shoppers to ‘have a good feel and check your boobs today’.

Mary Williams, Asda Wrexham’s community colleague, said; “By taking the Pink Pledge, my colleagues and I are encouraging everyone to not only ‘Be Your Breast Friend’, but to also share with family and friends to ensure they become their own breast friends too.

“We’ll be dressed in pink throughout the entire campaign and customers can expect to see plenty of prompts to check themselves stuck on produce all around the store. We’ve got all sorts of brilliant events planned over the coming months, including our big in-store fun day later in the year in July.”

Part of Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, which has been supporting charities Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now for more than 22 years, the pledge aims to address the fact that 1 in 2 women don’t check their breasts regularly.

The earlier breast cancer is found the more likely treatment is to be successful, so it is vital women are aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, what to look for, and feel confident to visit their GP should they find anything unusual.

With ‘forgetting to check’ cited as the most common reason for women not checking their breasts, Asda’s ‘Pink Pledge’ campaign activity instore – and in the community - will aim to remind customers and colleagues to ‘Be Your Breast Friend’.