FOR Leigh charity, Lady McAdden Breast Screening Trust, winning the Echo’s cash giveaway competition would make a huge difference their mission to promote breast awareness and health.

The Gannett Foundation, the charitable branch of the Echo’s parent company, has provided us with £16,000 to donate to worthy causes.

One of the finalists, Lady McAdden Breast Cancer Trust in Leigh, receives no funding from the government or NHS.

The appointments are funded by donation, fundraising and their charity shop in Tilbury and prom and wedding dress shop at the head office in Elmsleigh Drive in Leigh.

They focus on breast awareness and health, through education, advice and awareness.

The small team attend events to give talks and nurses visit venues to make their appointments accessible.

“As we do this, we need more equipment and this is where the Echo’s grant would make a huge difference to us, enabling us to update and extend our display equipment and give us a presence at venues,” said Liz Storey, director of operations at Lady McAdden.

“Unless you’ve used our facilities in the past, we have, until recently, been a bit of a hidden secret and we need your help to change that. We want to share how checking properly, at all ages either before eligible for mammograms or in between, working out what is normal for you could make a difference. Early detection saves lives.”

They are the only charity in the UK to offer self-referral nurse appointments for breast health, where the person can learn how to check themselves to become breast aware.

The ten finalists for the southeast of England include Southend’s Welcome to the UK, St Vincent de Paul Society and Leigh’s Lady McAdden Breast Screening Trust.

Lady McAdden started in 1976 and was the first to offer routine breast screening until the NHS service opened in 1988. The Lady McAdden Centre is located at 203 Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh, SS9 4JH.

To find out more and to book an appointment at a venue or via secure video call visit www.ladymcadden.org or call 01702 343288.