FROM shocking pink wigs to pale pink shirts, people around Worcester donned colourful clothes to raise money for charity.

Hundreds of people took part in the Wear It Pink fund-raiser in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign yesterday. While hairstylists at Umberto Giannini, Pump Street, wore pink, estate agents at Griffiths and Charles in Foregate Street jazzed up their usual suits with flashes of colour.

Staff member Barbara Roberts said: “Griffiths and Charles is proud to take part in the Wear It Pink fund-raising event for the second year.

“It is a very deserving and worthwhile cause, and we never know when family, friends and colleagues may need their support.”

There was a sea of pink at the University of Worcester. Staff from registry services and finance made tasty pink cakes, which were sold throughout the day, plus there was a raffle and Bra Banks around campus for staff and students to donate unwanted items to women in poorer countries.

Organiser Joseph Bayley, admissions assistant at the university, said: “So many of us have been touched by breast cancer, either by knowing family, friends or colleagues who have been affected, or personally suffering, so we wanted to support this important cause.

“I’m really pleased with the support we received from both staff and students who all got in the spirit of the event.”

While the total amount raised is still being counted up, early predictions look good. Staff at Thursfield Solicitors, Foregate Street, raised an impressive £175.62 by donning pink costumes.

Breast Cancer Campaign uses every penny raised during Wear It Pink to fund innovative research throughout Britain in a bid to understand how breast cancer develops and support those affected.

Last year, participants raised a national total of £3.5 million. The cash helped to fund projects like Dr Ingunn Holen's award-winning research which found that if two drugs were given in a particular order at specific time intervals, breast tumours were almost completely destroyed.