L-R Breast Friends Fundraiser Ann Brown and Anna Kayes from online car insurance company its4women are pictured with Action Cancer’s Advanced Practice Radiographer, Donna Kelly, in front of the new Siemens B.Brilliant Mammography unit at Action Cancer House, Belfast.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, and in partnership with online car insurance company its4women, leading NI cancer charity Action Cancer has released 100 additional breast screening appointments and is encouraging women to book their screening slot online.
The theme for International Women's Day on Saturday 8th March 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action’ and the charity will be opening its doors on this day to mark the occasion with a special breast screening clinic at Action Cancer House in Belfast with 25 appointments available.
International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8, yet the global campaign theme continues all year long to encourage action.
Women in 2025 lead such busy lives, often juggling work commitments, looking after family members and organising the household. Personal health and well-being can drop to the bottom of the priority list.
Action Cancer is appealing to women to take time out of their busy schedules and put their own health first by booking a free breast screening appointment. It will only take five minutes and it could save your life.
The breast screening service is free to the user but each appointment costs the charity £120. With no regular government funding, Action Cancer raises funds to support screenings through the Breast Friends fundraising campaign, with cash generated by the general public then matched by its4women. Since the partnership began in 2019, £300,000 has been raised to date which equates to 2,725 potentially life-saving mammograms.
The Breast Friends campaign encourages groups of friends to organise a catch-up and raise much needed funds at the same time. You could hold a coffee morning, pamper day or spring garden party, at home, in your local salon, gym or anywhere of your choosing on International Women’s Day or during the month of March.
Action Cancer offers 8,000 breast screening appointments per year to women aged 40-49 and over 70 — those who fall outside the NHS screening age range (50 – 70). The free life-saving service is available both at Action Cancer House in Belfast and on board the Big Bus mobile screening unit (kindly supported by SuperValu and Centra) which travels to over 200 locations each year. For every 1,000 screenings, Action Cancer detects six breast cancers.
Action Cancer recently replaced its two Mammography units (which had come to the end of their life-cycle), with the newest version of the technology. The new Siemens B.Brilliant Mammography units are now in place at Action Cancer House and on board the Big Bus.
Donna Kelly, who heads up the X-ray department at the charity, said:
“As we always like to be ahead of the curve at Action Cancer, we are very proud to say that these are the first of these new systems to be installed on the island of Ireland. After extensive medical testing both machines are now in use and helping to save lives through breast screening in Northern Ireland.
“Now that we have these new units installed, we need ongoing support for the running costs to ensure we can continue to offer life-saving breast screenings to local women across Northern Ireland. This is why we are so grateful to local online car insurance company its4women for the match funding provided through the Breast Friends campaign.”
L-R Breast Friends Fundraiser Ann Brown and Anna Kayes from online car insurance company its4women are pictured with Action Cancer’s Advanced Practice Radiographer, Donna Kelly, to celebrate the significant milestone of £300,000 being raised for the breast screening service since the Breast Friends partnership began with its4women in 2019.
Speaking about the partnership Anna Kayes from its4women said:
“With financial matching from its4women, we are thrilled that the Breast Friends campaign has now raised a phenomenal £300,000 since 2019 enabling 2,725 breast screenings to be provided to local women free of charge.
“Given Action Cancer detects six cancers for every 1,000 appointments, money raised from the campaign will have led to the detection of at least sixteen cancers. These women would not have been accessing a mammogram through another channel which is why this breast screening service is so important. It is also worth recognising the reassurance provided to the remaining 2,709 women who received clear results.
“Please support Action Cancer by hosting a fundraiser for International Women’s Day. Remember with Breast Friends, your donation goes twice as far!”
Last October, Action Cancer Supporter Ann Brown along with family and friends raised an incredible £3,260 with their annual coffee morning held in Portstewart Guide Hall for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I held the first coffee morning back in 2007 when my sister and a few close friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then it has grown year-on-year and it’s brilliant that its4women have been matching our efforts every year since 2019. This means that our 2024 donation will be doubled to £6,520 and in October 2025 we intend to smash a cumulative target of £50,000!
“Breast screening is so vitally important. We all know someone who has been affected by this awful disease. I urge women of all ages to support this fundraising campaign and to spread the message to family and friends, particularly those in the 40-49 and 70+ age category. Together, we can make a significant difference in the fight against breast cancer."
Women aged 40-49 and 70+ can book an appointment online at www.actioncancer.org or by phone on 028 9080 3344.
For a Breast Friends fundraising pack, please call Lisa McClenaghan on 028 9080 3361 or email breastfriends@actioncancer.org