Press Release

26 August 2022

Westbury Manor Museum to be lit gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Fareham Borough Council will be working with Hampshire Cultural Trust to mark ‘Childhood Cancer Awareness Month’, by lighting Westbury Manor Museum in gold for the month of September.

Every day in the UK, 12 children and young people will receive the devastating news that they have cancer. Of those 12, two will not survive.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a global initiative, raising awareness and funds for the treatment of childhood cancer. The internationally recognised symbol for childhood cancer is the gold ribbon, so Westbury Manor Museum will be lit gold for the whole month of September to raise awareness.

Fareham Borough Council is proud to support Sophie’s Legacy – a local registered charity which funds snack and toiletry boxes on 15 wards in Portsmouth and Southampton hospitals, as well as transport, and emergency supplies for parents when they arrive in hospital. This charity operates in memory of Sophie who lost her battle to cancer in 2021 when she was just 10 years old.

Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Seán Woodward, said:

“We want to raise as much awareness as possible for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month so Westbury Manor Museum will join many other local and national landmarks being lit in gold on 1 September. We are also encouraging donations to Sophie’s Legacy. Sophie’s loss was felt throughout the Borough and it is a charity close to all our hearts.
“Cancer is the number one disease related killer of children under the age of 15 and it is something that no child, or their family, should have to endure. Early detection is paramount, and the more people are aware of the signs and symptoms the quicker they can seek lifesaving treatment.”

You can find out more about Sophie’s Legacy here: www.sophieslegacy.co.uk

ENDS