A WORCESTER clothing shop and beauty salon is helping to raise money for the county’s breast cancer unit appeal by donating money from its Springtime Manicure fees.

Stripes Beauty, The Foregate, Worcester, is offering customers a chance to have a bit of pampering and contribute to the appeal throughout the month of May.

Stripes owners, sisters Claire Wright and Jenny Plant, heard the story of two local women Kate Butler and Susie Coleman who set up their own small not-for-profit community organisation called Breast Unit Events.

It creates and runs events raising money for the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign and the salon owners were keen to help them to raise funds.

Claire said: “We really wanted to support Kate and Susie at Breast Unit Events. They are very inspiring women who are both breast cancer survivors and we are keen to help them to improve facilities and support for breast cancer sufferers in Worcestershire.”

Susie was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 2004 when she was just 26 years old. She went through a rollercoaster of treatment which included surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, Herceptin and hormone tablets.

After that she became a mentor for other young breast cancer sufferers including Kate, who was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 2008 aged 32 and had surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and five years of hormone tablets, finishing her treatment in March 2014.

The Stripes Beauty Happy Springtime Manicure at is a luxury hand treatment that incorporates exfoliation, cuticle work and massage. It takes 50 minutes and costs £38 with £5 from every manicure until May 31 going to the Worcestershire Breast Unit.

Breast Unit Events founders Kate and Susie tried out the treatment and said: “We are thrilled to hear that Stripes Beauty is donating £5 from every Springtime Manicure to the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign.

“Stripes Beauty has really supported the campaign and us at Breast Unit Events and it was a real treat to receive a complimentary manicure from the wonderful beauty therapists. Complete with a hot stone massage on our arms and hands, it felt like a luxurious Saturday afternoon and our nails look fab."

• The Worcestershire Breast Unit campaign has been running since 2007 and wants to raise £1.8 million to fund the establishment of a new, dedicated Breast Unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital for use by women and men across the county for all breast related issues.

• Six hundred people throughout Worcestershire are diagnosed with breast cancer each year - higher than the national average - and many more women (one in three) will see a breast specialist at some point during their life.

• The vision is to develop a dedicated breast care unit for them offering a much more personal service.