Bettina’s boost to beat breast cancer

A Hucknall woman who is recovering from breast cancer raised £322 towards beating the disease at the town’s leisure centre.
Breast cancer fundraising event at Hucknall Leisure Centre, Mary-Clare Endy recieves her tombola prize from Angela BenskiBreast cancer fundraising event at Hucknall Leisure Centre, Mary-Clare Endy recieves her tombola prize from Angela Benski
Breast cancer fundraising event at Hucknall Leisure Centre, Mary-Clare Endy recieves her tombola prize from Angela Benski

The proceeds from last Friday’s event were boosted by £200 raised by staff at Costa Coffee on the same day.

Organiser Bettina Benski said: “I have seen first-hand the number of people affected by this disease and I feel I need to give something back to help.

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“So many people have given me raffle prizes. I have been really impressed by the support from the community.”

Last year Bettina, 57, of Woodford Road, retired from teaching French at Hall Park Academy, in Eastwood, after 22 years.

She said: “I took retirement and thought I would go back part-time. But I got my diagnosis in September. It’s the sort of thing you don’t expect. I have been through the therapy and was having chemo during the winter. City Hospital were just brilliant!”

Bettina paid tribute to the leisure centre staff, who, she says, have been ‘absolutely wonderful’.

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On the same day, staff at Costa Coffee on Hucknall’s High Street dressed up in pink and ran a ‘Name the Teddy’ competition and a colouring competition which is open until Halloween.

Manager Rachel Liffen said: “We had a ball! All our staff - Hayley Sail, Stacey Banks, Sian Compton and Frank Patient - dressed in pink for the day and all made cakes to sell. Frank knocked everyone out with a pink tutu, a shoulder-length pink wig and butterfly wings!

“The customers were awesome and very generous on the day - £200 was raised to add to Bettina’s pot.”

Both events are part of the ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign’s national day of fundraising as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a worldwide annual campaign involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast awareness.