Pontefract painted pink and bras hung around town centre to honour Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2025

Organised by Pontefract Civic Society and the Pontefract and District Breast Cancer Support Group, the ‘Paint the Town Pink’ campaign sees dozens of bras hung throughout the town centre.

The campaign is in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every October and encourages communities to raise awareness of the disease and its effects.

Vice chair of Pontefract Civic Society, Phil Cook, was inspired to organise the new campaign after seeing something similar in Bawtry when he attended a wedding last year.

He approached the Pontefract and District Breast Cancer Support Group’s leader, Rachael Brown, informing her of how it could be done in Pontefract - with the help of the Civic Society’s decoration squad.

Over the summer, a plea was issued to the community – asking locals to donate their old, used bras at avrious stations across the town.

The Support Group connected the donated bras together and obtained flags, which were hung around ther town on Sunday.

The campaign will also see numerous shops get involved, with them painting and decorating their windows pink in solidarity.

Posting to social media, a spokesperson for Pontefract and District Breast Cancer Support Group said: “Thank you for all your donations of bras!

“We hope you agree the town is now pink, with some businesses decorating their windows over the next few days.

“It will certainly raise awareness.

"Thanks to all the helpers in putting them up and to Pontefract Civic Society and their Decoration Squad for the advice and support”.