Herefordshire women donate 1,000 bras to cancer charity

The Crowsfeet shop in Ross-on-Wye has opened a bra bank and has sent almost 1000 used bras donated by local women to Against Breast Cancer. Here, they are recycled and given to small businesses to sell in developing countries, all while raising vital funds for breast cancer research.

“I started collecting bras because every bra collected helps towards research,” said Julie Parker, the shop owner.

Julie Parker and Jen Ermi collect bras at Crowsfeet in Ross-on-Wye (Image: Julie Parker)

This recycling scheme takes in unwanted bras through its network of bra banks around the UK to raise money for breast cancer research. The bras go to small businesses in developing countries such as Togo, Ghana and Kenya, where they are given a new lease of life, instead of just to landfill. In these developing countries, bras are expensive to produce locally, so ventures like these can provide an income for families.

For every tonne of bras collected, Against Breast Cancer also receives £700 to fund its research.

Ms Parker said she was inspired to work with Against Breast Cancer because of the need for more breast cancer research, which will help more people to be diagnosed early and increase survival rates.

Crowsfeet is a gift shop located in the original iconic railway building on the corner of the town’s Cantilupe Road.

Other Against Breast Cancer bra banks in the county can be found at Pear-Laine Lingerie, Santander and Quality Care in Hereford, Bra Boudoir and Appliance Solutions in Ledbury, Underwhere and Clifton Bingo in Leominster, and the Co-Op in Hay-On-Wye.