Coatbridge community champion Ann is proud to support our Tickled Pink campaign

Our much-loved community champion Ann Binks from our Coatbridge store always throws herself behind our Tickled Pink campaign – a cause very close to her heart.

Ann, who's 59, recently marked four years of being cancer-free after being diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram.

She's now getting behind our campaign with Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel to make sure everyone has a regular breast check routine

Ann said: "One thing I would say to all men and women is to keep checking yourself regularly, and don’t miss any routine mammograms. If I hadn’t attended my mammogram appointment I would never have known.”

Following her mammogram, she was asked to attend West Scotland Breast Screening Centre in Glasgow where Ann was told that calcification flakes had been identified in her breast. This meant she needed to have her right breast removed. She attended surgery on her 55th birthday.

Ann said: "I have always supported the Tickled Pink campaign but after my diagnosis it has meant so much more.

"I was very lucky that my cancer was picked up early and if I didn’t go to the mammogram appointment I would not have known. It could have been much worse, and I am so grateful to everyone in the NHS who looked after me.”

Ann was shocked when she received her diagnosis, but her treatment was swift and within seven weeks she had her surgery.

"I was terrified to be honest when they told me I would need surgery. I didn't know what to think but I got through it and I’m so grateful to be cancer-free four years later. I am now on a hormone tablet every day for the next ten years which has led to some negative effects on my mood. The journey has not been easy but it’s a small price to pay and I’m so appreciative of the support from my husband Barrie and son Ben."

Ann’s colleagues at Asda were there for her throughout her journey and she is grateful for the support she received.

She said: "Tickled Pink is such a worthwhile cause. Anything that raises awareness and fundraises for more research into breast cancer is vital. Asda were such a great support throughout my diagnosis, and I am proud to be part of a team that has such a passion for breast cancer awareness.

“My colleagues have been brilliant; they were there for me the whole way through my journey and that support is still ongoing four years later.”

Store manager Kevin McPhee is is proud of Ann’s courage and determination.

He said: "Everyone at Asda Coatbridge is so proud of Ann. She is relentless in her campaigning for Tickled Pink, and we are all behind her. Ann is the heart and soul of not just the store but the whole community.

"Tickled Pink is a vital campaign, and we are with Ann every step of the way to get the message out there."