AN event organised by footballers’ wives Debbie Dowie and Emma Davies has funded 100 new bras for breast cancer sufferers.

The evening held at the Victoria Inn, better known as Fanny’s, in Markland Hill, raised £3,000 to help mastectomy patients at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Breast cancer survivor Debbie Dowie, wife of the former Premier League footballer Iain Dowie, arranged the event on behalf of her charity Boot Out Breast Cancer to support Treasure Chest, a Bolton-based breast cancer support group.

She joined forces with Emma Davies, wife of Wanderers captain Kevin Davies, who arranged for a number of entrepreneurs, including herself, to sell goods and give a proportion of sales to the cause.

Mrs Dowie said: “A lot of people turned up. I think it was because it was local thing for local people.

“Unfortunately we all know somebody that might need one of these kits. When I had breast cancer I had to go to Marks & Spencer to buy my bra. I felt like people were looking at me thinking “oh what a shame”.

“Having these kits saves women from having to buy one and saves them money.”

The bras are currently not provided by the NHS but the Royal Bolton Hospital currently has a stock of the bras after Jacqueline Parkinson, a staff nurse at Bolton’s breast unit, donated her £1,000 prize money after winning a ‘best patient support award’ last year to fund the bras.

Mrs Parkinson said women who have had a mastectomy with or without reconstructive surgery need a bra that will not harm them, and added the specialist bras, which are designed so they do not rub and chafe, “give them one less thing to worry about”.

The bras will be bought following a further fundraising event by Treasure Chest, which will take place at Horwich RMI on April 20.

It will include entertainment from an Elvis tribute act, Smithills Band and a DJ.

For more information visit treasurechestbolton.com