WELL known comedians have joined forces to help mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October and help local charity Breast Cancer Haven, Wessex, based in Titchfield, who celebrate their second birthday on Thursday.

Breast Cancer Haven is a national charity, offering free emotional support, help with symptom control and practical advice to anyone affected by breast cancer from its network of centres. Everyone is welcomed, whether recently diagnosed, in treatment, or seeking help to lead a healthy life after that treatment has finished.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month started with a comedy night at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre.

Headliner Shappi Khorsandi, along with Dane Baptiste, Pete Firman, Jonny Awsum and local BBC South Today presenter Sam Fraser entertained more than 800 guests at the event and the theatre was lit up pink alongside other iconic buildings including the O2 Southampton Guildhall, Grand Harbour Hotel, Winchester Clock Tower and Itchen College. The event was a huge success and raised £10,000.

Comedian Hugh Dennis, of Mock the Week and Outnumbered fame, hosted a Haven’t the Foggiest quiz on October 11, entertaining 25 teams. The event raised an amazing £12,000.

These are just two of the events held during the month with the aim of staging 31 events in 31days and raising £40,000 to try and help 40 people locally.

It costs £1,000 per visitor to Breast Cancer Haven, Wessex, to put them through a programme of ten free complimentary therapies which help with the emotional and physical side effects of this disease.

During the month so far people have been involved in pink shirt day (swapping their usual outfits for pink), ‘Squatober’, with local gym and fitness studios encouraging people to squat and raise money, local nail salons painting the breast cancer ribbon on people’s nails, refuse collectors wearing pink and collecting money and zoo keepers turning pink too.

The pink ferry at Warsash has charged passengers an extra donation for the charity, while staff from Estee Lauder in Titchfield celebrated 25 years of working with breast cancer charities by cycling 25 laps from their offices to the breast cancer centre.

One of the final events of the month is a Pink Pumpkin Competition on Friday in Westquay.

Children are invited to donate £5 to decorate a pumpkin with crafts from Bella Crafts and enter it into the competition to win four tickets for this year’s Mayflower pantomime – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, starring Craig Revel Horwood.

Since opening, Breast Cancer Haven, Wessex, has supported more than 750 people with the disease. To mark the anniversary there will be a cheese and wine evening on Thursday at the centre in Titchfield, Fareham. Tickets are £5 and all are welcome to attend.

Lots of activities have already taken place this month, but there is still time to get involved, have some fun and help raise money to help local people with breast cancer.

For more information, visit breastcancerhaven.org.uk