SUFFOLK has gone pink to help tackle breast cancer.As The Evening Star dedicated a whole edition to raising awareness, businesses around the county were also doing their bit.

By REBECCA LEFORT

health reporter

rebecca.lefort@eveningstar.co.uk>

SUFFOLK has gone pink to help tackle breast cancer.

As The Evening Star dedicated a whole edition to raising awareness, businesses around the county were also doing their bit.

Staff got dressed up and people volunteered to have their head shaved, all to collect as much cash as possible for cancer charities.

Axa employees were tickled pink as they enjoyed a strawberry flavoured chocolate fountain, mini manicures with pink polish, and various pink products being sold from the staff canteen.

The event was to help Cancer Research UK, with every staff member who wore pink donating £1 to help collect more than £800.

And brave Dave Palmer even volunteered to have his head shaved by colleague Louise Dale.

Naomi Chingono, community development assistant at AXA, said: “Everyone at AXA is really keen to support Cancer Research UK because we all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.

“Backing the Think Pink campaign is an important part of AXA's community programme and something we throw a lot of energy into every year; it's a great way to have fun and help a really important cause.”

Meanwhile at Ladbrokes in Princes Street booker makers helped the cause by dressing in pink for the day.

And at Willis HR assistant Dee Mann, health and safety officer Trudi Osborne, and payroll manager Debbie Gordon, took advantage of the company's dress down day to get in the pink to raise £1,025 for charity.

The three stood in reception of the Ipswich building as employees got to work to encourage them to put their hands in their pockets.

Miss Gordon said Willis holds regular dress down days on the last Friday of each month and an employee will choose which charity to send the money to.

She said: “We ask all the associates to put £1 in the bucket on dress down days and we wanted to encourage people to put some extra in.

“We have around 1,300 associates in the Ipswich office and we usually end up with around £800 depending on how many associates are in the office at the same time.”

Did you raise cash to beat breast cancer? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.