It is best to buy only from recognised cancer charities (Photo: Getty)
If you enter "Breast Cancer Awareness Month products" into Google, 7,060,000 results pop up. I clicked on a few at random and was saddened to see just how many commercial websites are offering pink products – T-shirts, mugs, plates, shoes, slippers, keyrings etc. The list is endless. One website has a selection of pink clothes – of questionable quality – complete with the pink ribbon emblem, but, amazingly, considering this is breast cancer awareness month, the products are reduced in price – "get 20 per cent off our products".
No, it is not amazing. This is just one of the websites that is cashing in on our generosity and desire to support breast cancer charities. There is no mention of a percentage going to a particular cause and, sadly, this is just one example among many. I think the answer is to boycott these websites and buy only from the recognised breast cancer charities. I would suggest you avoid filling those appealing-looking plastic bags which fall through the door. Not many of those are genuine either.
The well-known breast cancer charities all have "shops" on their websites, selling much better quality pink merchandise or pointing you in the direction of products on sale in the high street. I have just bought a Portmerion "Secret Garden" teapot from John Lewis – 10% of the price goes to Breast Cancer Care. Le Creuset is also joining in, with £1.25 per item of their special range of stoneware going to this charity – and with a definite promise of a£20,000 donation.
Many of the well-known brands of beauty products have produced something special for various charities this October – Clinique, Elemis, Bourjois, Tweezerman, to name but a few. The website www.womenseverything.com carries some examples.
For The (Breast Cancer) Haven, Sainsbury's and Vitacress salads are, once again, combining to donate a percentage of sales of watercress (a rich source of antioxidants) – at 5p per pack, it gave The Haven over £20,000 last year; Fitflop has produced a SHUV in "cherry cherry pink", costing £50 of which £5 is its donation; and, rather more expensive, is a pendant, based on The Haven's Tree of Life logo made by Robinson Pelham, which sells at £150-£2,150 – depending on the finish – with 20% going to The Haven.
You can also find products at Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Asda, Laura Ashley, Warehouse and Coast and, if you fancy changing your credit card, Breakthrough Breast Cancer is offering its own credit card, run by MBNA who will make contributions to the charity. I am off tomorrow to buy my annual M & S T-shirt. I already have the useful "My Little Book Of …", a handbag sized notebook produced by Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (Breakthrough's flagship fashion campaign). Breast Cancer Campaign benefits from a percentage of each Vanish product sold – “Think Pink”.
As I read what I have written, I know that we are a generous nation and all the breast cancer charities will do well this October, which will mean hope and support for more people joining the ever-growing numbers of breast cancer patients.
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