Pink skip campaign collects 500 bras for women living in poverty

Anne-Marie England and Bianca Cooper, of Blackpool Skip Hire Ltd, led the way in the company's campaign to help breast cancer sufferers and women living in poverty abroad as they collected more than 500 bras for Breast Cancer Haven. The charity sends good-quality bras to women in the least-developed countries, while bras that cannot be reused are recycled to raise funds to support local women affected by breast cancer. Bianca said: "We were hoping to get a ton's worth, and probably got about half a ton! The carers centre donated a lot, mainly from people who work there. The managers from the Tesco on Clifton Drive collected a lot of bras from family, friends and colleagues, and so we got nearly 100 from them alone. "We're definitely pleased with how it has turned out. I think we'll do it again next year, and maybe because we have done it this year we'll get even more. "Bras are not something people usually think about donating, and I don't think charity shops take them because they're underwear. It's not something that you buy second-hand and when it gets old you're likely to throw it away. But people can use them, especially if they can't afford them." Anne-Marie and Bianca came up with the idea to collect bras after Blackpool's International Women's Day celebration, which would usually take place at the Winter Gardens, was cancelled. To help them in their campaign, the company rolled out a bright pink skip where women could donate their second-hand bras throughout October. Anne-Marie said: "We now have more than 500 bras collected, ready to be boxed up and shipped off. As a skip company we support recycling and clothes are a massive issue at landfill sites, so it only makes sense. "I came up with the idea for the pink skip first, then it was just a question of what to put in it. "A lot of women have drawers full of bras, but only wear two or three. A single bra can cost around £30 or more, so meanwhile there are women who can't afford them. By recycling your bras it stops them going to landfill and helps women in less-developed countries."