A Ray of Sunshine found in Royal Botanic Garden!

Nina Barough, Founder and CEO of grant-making breast cancer charity Walk the Walk today donned a beautiful pink bra adorned with fresh flowers to match a majestic oak tree specially wrapped in Pink at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. This was to celebrate the announcement of a grant for a new Mammography Unit at The Breast Unit, Western General, Edinburgh.

This addition to improve the care of cancer patients in Scotland was the latest grant from money raised at The MoonWalk Edinburgh. Since the first Scottish MoonWalk in 2006, with the help of over 60,000 walkers, this one evening has raised in excess of £14 million and over £2 million in 2011 alone.

Walk the Walk has previously helped renovate Ward 6 and granted a further £1.5 million for the construction of 2 new theatres in the Western General Hospital. The new Mammography Unit will ensure that the Breast Unit stays at the forefront of developments in the treatment of breast cancer.
Nina, who dreamt up the idea of The MoonWalk where women and men Power Walk either a Half Marathon or Full Marathon at Midnight in brightly decorated bras said; “Walk the Walk has been working with the Breast Cancer Institute for a number of years, so it really is wonderful to be giving a further grant in order to renovate the Mammography Unit. This will be the final piece of the jig saw in creating a comfortable and healing environment to enable the people having their scans, the best possible experience. For the Royal Botanic Garden to create a pink tree in honour of the day makes the celebration even more special.”

Heather Jackson, Director of Enterprise at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, commented: “The Edinburgh MoonWalk is one of the capital’s largest fundraising events and is worthy of all the support it attracts.The Botanics is happy to be hosting the media launch today, and on the night of the walk in June we will be illuminating the front of the John Hope Gateway visitor centre with pink lights.’’

Dr Elaine Anderson, Clinical Director of Breast Services and Breast Screening, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted to receive this new grant from Walk the Walk as it will allow us to continue to improve the service to our patients. The money will be used to renovate the existing Mammography Unit and to expand the facilities for patients and staff. We are going to create a more welcoming reception area and a comfortable waiting room with an adjacent small courtyard garden for patients.

And with a new ultrasound room and another reporting area also included in the redesign, we will be able to cope with the increasing workload, and at the same time make the service more efficient and user-friendly for everyone.
This is all possible because of the generosity of the thousands of women and men who take part in the Moonwalk every year. I am thrilled to let them know their efforts are worthwhile and that we can’t thank them enough.”