Craig Levein kick-starts campaign to beat breast cancer

Published on Friday 27 August 2010 15:57

Scotland football manager Craig Levein has given his backing to a charity campaign to help women beat cancer.

Levein, whose father died from throat cancer in 1999, yesterday helped to launch Cancer Research UK's "join the fight for women's survival" campaign.

The fundraising drive aims to gather 150,000 before Christmas.

Levein said: "Like so many Scots, I've lost family and close friends to this disease. It is terrible to see the impact it has on families, and it's so important we do everything we can to help beat it.

"Cancer Research UK is making huge strides in beating the disease, but they need your help, so I'm happy to kick-start this campaign and I hope lots of people in Scotland will get right behind it."

Levein held a special training session at Hampden Park to help get fundraising volunteers and breast cancer survivors fit for the new campaign.

Cancer Research UK spokesman John Fyall said: "The new campaign is a fundraising campaign to help with the fight against breast cancer amongst women.

"Around ten women a day in Scotland are diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the most common cancer amongst women.

"Around 20 men a year are also diagnosed with breast cancer in Scotland, but more than 2,500 are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Scotland. However, breast cancer does affect men as well.

"Craig has got his own campaign to look after, and an important game on 3 September, so it's great that he's been such a sport and is helping us kick off this campaign.

"In the last few years, more women have been diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before. But there is good news. Thanks to research into earlier diagnosis and better treatment, more women are also surviving.

"Our research is beating breast cancer, but we still need people to help us fight harder. Every penny raised will help save more lives in the future."