The University of Leeds turned its iconic Parkinson Building pink to show its support for the fight against breast cancer.
The Parkinson Building was one of 18 landmarks based in 12 major towns and cities across the UK to turn pink as October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close. Cities participating in the Breast Cancer Campaign initiative include London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Newcastle, Gateshead, Bristol, Coventry, Bath, Leeds, Windsor and Birmingham.
The University of Leeds is one of four sites across the country that house Breast Cancer Campaign’s pioneering Tissue Bank. The first of its kind in the UK, the Bank is a unique national resource for researchers in the UK and Ireland to collect and store tissue samples, safely and consistently.
Professor Valerie Speirs, a member of the Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology at the University of Leeds, said: “I am proud to be part of a team at the University of Leeds who are working towards unlocking the cure for breast cancer and very grateful to everyone who supports Breast Cancer Campaign’s research. While tremendous strides have been made in breast cancer research over the years, it remains a very complex disease and there is still much to learn, so having a resource like the Tissue Bank is vital if we are to accelerate lab findings to the clinic.”
The Tissue Bank was made possible thanks to Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, which has donated £3 million to help create and develop the resource.
Lisa Burnett, Asda’s Charity Partnership Manager, said: “This pioneering Tissue Bank in Leeds is only possible because of the continued support we receive for Asda's Tickled Pink campaign from customers and colleagues. We would like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication over the past 17 years. We hope this will play a significant role in helping the thousands of people who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.”
Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Campaign, said: “We’re thrilled that some of the nation’s most well-known landmarks are joining us in highlighting the importance of breast cancer research.
“Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in the UK and thousands of lives are lost each year. We hope that this will raise awareness of breast cancer and encourage people to join in and support research to help us overcome breast cancer by 2050.”
Other landmarks which are taking part are the Cutty Sark, the National Theatre, HMS Belfast, Waterloo Bridge, Hungerford Bridge and the Marble Arch Fountains in London, Windsor Castle, Belfast Castle, the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the SSE Hydro and St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow, the Wills Memorial Building in Bristol, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Coventry Cathedral, the Pultney Bridge in Bath and Birmingham Town Hall.
The public can text PINK to 70907 to donate £2 to Breast Cancer Campaign to fund life-saving research.