Walk the Walk charity launch striking new t-shirts to highlight the fact that men get breast cancer too

MEN supporting breast cancer charity Walk the Walk have previously been very much “in the pink”.

But now they’ll be enjoying a blue do as the charity has listened and is bringing some much-needed blue into the otherwise very pink world of breast cancer awareness.

Hundreds of men taking part in the charity’s iconic MoonWalks in London and Edinburgh this year will be given specially designed T-shirts — featuring, for the very first time, a blue checked bra.

The striking new T-shirts feature the message “men get breast cancer too!” and are part of Walk the Walk’s campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer in men and to encourage men to check themselves regularly.

Each year, 350 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, but many cases are discovered very late and, as a result, 80 of those die.

As part of their campaign, Walk the Walk recently brought together six men who have all had breast cancer, in what’s believed to be the largest group of men to have had the disease ever to gather in the UK.

The charity acted on the men’s feedback that breast cancer charities need to be a little less pink.

Giles Cooper, from Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with breast cancer after both his father and uncle had died of the disease, and he’s delighted with the new T-shirts.

He says: “The blue bra T-shirts are a fantastically poignant symbol that men, too, can get breast cancer. Thank you Walk the Walk for helping us to get the message out there.”

Retired police officer Dave Talbot from Bristol has also been treated for breast cancer and adds: “It’s great to see Walk the Walk recognise that Breast Cancer can affect men as well as women. The new ‘Blue Bra’ T-Shirt is brilliant.”

Walk the Walk is hoping to encourage more men to sign up for its fundraising MoonWalks, which involve thousands of people power-walking marathons at midnight wearing brightly-decorated bras.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk says: “We’re so passionate at Walk the Walk about raising awareness that men can get breast cancer, too.

“We hope these new T-shirts, which will be exclusively for all our MoonWalking men, will help to spread this incredibly important message to even more people.

“If the ‘blue bra’ can persuade one more man to check himself for symptoms or one more woman to persuade the men in her life to get themselves checked out, it will have been a success.

“Breast cancer affects men and women, so let’s get more men signing up for a MoonWalk, and create an incredible sea of blue and pink!”

Walk the Walk has raised more than £121 million since 1996, with the money funding research into breast cancer and being used to improve the lives of those living with cancer now.

The MoonWalk London takes place on Saturday, May 12, and The MoonWalk Scotland is on Saturday, June 9.

If you fancy power-walking the streets of London or Edinburgh at midnight wearing a decorated bra, to raise money and awareness for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, sign up now at www.walkthewalk.org