LONDON, 2015-10-7 — /EPR Retail News/ — Debenhams, the leading international multichannel retailer, kicked-off the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month in style with a special in-store performance by the cast of West End theatre show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Vivien Carter, who plays Carole King in the award winning musical, was joined by The Shirelles, and performed a set on a grand piano at Debenhams Oxford Street store, wowing Saturday shoppers with classic chart-topping tunes. The in-store event marks the launch of the retailer’s campaign #GetBackToYou which aims to support women going through breast cancer.
Debenhams has supported breast cancer charities for more than 14 years and in this time has raised more than £4 million. Every year over 50,000 women are diagnosed with this disease. Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, is the retailer’s corporate charity partner and via funds raised through The Debenhams Foundation, they share the ambition to stop women dying from breast cancer by 2050.
Nikki Zamblera, Debenhams HR Director and Chair of the Debenhams Foundation said:
“Breast Cancer Now is a charity that really matters to Debenhams colleagues and customers. We have raised funds to help to find a cure for Breast Cancer for over 14 years now and through the Debenhams Foundation we are determined to continue with our support.”
The retailer hopes to raise £200,000 through the sale of specially selected products that carry a donation to the charity and via staff fundraising activity in stores. Earlier this year, Debenhams launched a new post-surgery bra range, Spirit. Breast Cancer Now Ambassador Wendy Watson is the face of the campaign appearing on all packaging for the collection.
Meanwhile, during October Debenhams has invited Breast Cancer Now supporter groups to its cafes to hold meetings and social events while they enjoy tea and coffee, and taste the limited edition ‘Pink Heart’ cake, with a 30p donation per slice to the charity.
The campaign #GetBacktoYou has been created with the aim to help not only women that have been affected by breast cancer, but also to inspire all of Debenhams’ customers with the little things that they can do to make them feel good. The retailer will be generating conversation across its social platforms throughout the month using the hash tag and has activity planned including a Twitter party.
Designers at Debenhams are also supporting the campaign and will be conducting
make-overs for Breast Cancer Now ambassadors, who will be given a new wardrobe. Designers involved include Henry Holland, Aliza Reger and Ben De Lisi.
Jen Dougan, Director of Fundraising & Engagement at Breast Cancer Now said: “We are incredibly proud to be working with Debenhams on the #GetBackToYou campaign. We have a long-standing partnership with Debenhams, which has raised such a huge amount towards our life-saving research so it’s great to see so much activity taking place this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“This year, 12,000 women will lose their lives to this devastating disease. The money raised by Debenhams will help fund the world’s brightest researchers who are looking into the prevention of breast cancer, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it effectively at every stage so we can stop the disease taking lives.”
The exclusive range of products can be found in in Womenswear, Lingerie, Women’s Accessories and in Home you will find a collection designed by Aliza Reger. Products are available online and in-store from October 1st and a donation between 10 and 25 per cent from every product in the range will be donated to Breast Cancer Now.
Ends
Notes to Editors • The Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, in-store performance took place at the Debenhams Oxford Street store on Saturday October 3rd, 2015 • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women. In the UK, over 50,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year – that’s around 138 a day. About Debenhams • Debenhams is a leading international, multi-channel brand with a proud British heritage which trades out of more than 240 stores across 27 countries. • Debenhams gives its customers around the world a unique, differentiated and exclusive mix of own brands, international brands and concessions. • In the UK, Debenhams has a top five market position in womenswear and menswear and a top ten share in children’s-wear. It holds the number two market position in premium health and beauty. • Debenhams has been investing in British design for over 20 years through its exclusive Designers at Debenhams portfolio of brands. • Current designers include Abigail Ahern, Ted Baker, Jeff Banks, Jasper Conran, FrostFrench, Patrick Grant, Henry Holland, Betty Jackson, Ben de Lisi, Todd Lynn, Julien Macdonald, Jenny Packham, Pearce Fionda, Stephen Jones, Preen, Janet Reger, John Rocha, Giles Deacon, Savannah Miller, Laura Oakes, Ashley Thomas, Eric Van Peterson and Matthew Williamson. About Breast Cancer Now Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer charity. • Breast Cancer Now’s ambition is that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live. The charity is determined to stop women dying from the disease, working in a new, collaborative way and bringing together all those affected by the disease to fund research, share knowledge and find answers. • Breast Cancer Now’s world class research is focused entirely on breast cancer. The charity supports nearly 450 of the world’s brightest researchers at more than 20 locations across the UK and Ireland. Together, they’re working to discover how to prevent breast cancer, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it effectively at every stage so we can stop the disease taking lives. • Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in the UK. Nearly 700,000 people living in the UK have experienced a diagnosis and one in eight women will face it in their lifetime. This year alone, more than 50,000 women will be told they have the disease. • The UK still has one of the lowest breast cancer survival rates in Western Europe and this year alone nearly 12,000 women will lose their lives. It’s time to act. • Breast Cancer Now launched in June 2015, created by the merger of leading research charities Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer. • For more information on Breast Cancer Now’s work, visit breastcancernow.org or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.
CONTACTS
For further images and information please contact:
Alice Cottingham: 020 3549 6423 / alice.cottingham@debenhams.com
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