Breast care services in Peterborough are to receive a £16,500 cash boost thanks to generous fundraisers from the local business community.

An annual Ladies Charity Lunch, organised by city breast cancer survivor and campaigner Carol Collier, was a huge success – with moving and emotional personal breast cancer stories, inspirational speakers, magic, music and the digging deep to donate.

Alongside a two-course lunch, there was a raffle and auction which generated thousands of pounds to support existing and assist new services at Peterborough City Hospital’s Breast Care Unit.

The 200 plus guests gave standing ovations to speakers Pauline Daniel and TV personality Sarah Cawood, who each shared their own personal breast cancer journey stories.

The event was started by Carol in 2015, after she was treated for breast cancer at Peterborough City Hospital following diagnosis from a routine mammogram in 2014.

Last year, the lunch hit the £100,000 mark – with patients benefiting from a number of services paid for through the fundraising efforts over the years.

This has included a specialised tattoo machine to support patients with improving their body image, a refurbishment of the mobile breast screening van, and staff development to provide a breast pain clinic in the community at Doddington Hospital in March.

Carol said: “I was so grateful for all the excellent care I received from everyone in the breast care unit, and really wanted to do something to give back.

“I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people who have attended the annual lunch over the years – and surpass the £100,000 milestone last year was incredible.

“It never ceases to amaze me just how generous people are.”

With October marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the event - sponsored by and Anne Corder Recruitment, Buckles Solicitors, The Holiday Inn Peterborough West, The Phoenix Group and Your Local Magazine – is a timely reminder to people across Cambridgeshire.

One in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their life time. Research shows that screening – used to find breast cancers at an early stage when they are too small to see or feel - saves on average one life from breast cancer for every 200 women who are screened.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is urging women who have a received an initiation for screening to keep their appointment. As well as on-site breast screening within a hospital setting, mobile screening vehicles also regularly visit Stamford and Rutland Hospital and many other venues within the local community.

To find out what you can expect at you appointment at the Trust, visit: (nwangliaft.nhs.uk)