Breast Cancer Awareness Month turns Bishop’s Stortford’s Waytemore Castle mound pink

Bishop’s Stortford’s Waytemore Castle mound will be a beacon of support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The grade 1 listed scheduled ancient monument will glow pink at night throughout October, thanks to new lighting installed at its base as part of the Castle Park transformation project.

The project to unite Castle Gardens and Sworder’s Field was a joint venture by East Herts district and Bishop’s Stortford town councils, backed by a £2.5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage and Community Funds and support from Hertfordshire County Council’s Countryside Management Service.

Cllr Sarah Hopewell, East Herts Council’s executive member for wellbeing, said: “The extensive improvements made to Castle Park mean that the castle mound is now much more visible from the area around the park.

“Going pink this October will, we hope, help raise awareness of breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK.”

Cllr Richard Townsend, mayor of Bishop’s Stortford, said: “I’m delighted that the castle mound in Castle Park will be lit in pink to mark and emphasise the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It will be a strong visual reminder to all those affected and I hope it prompts us all to contribute in every way that we can.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an international campaign to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects 2.3 million women worldwide.

In the UK, one woman is diagnosed every 10 minutes, and around 55,000 women and 400 men are told they have the disease every year. A further 7,000 people are diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), an early form of the disease. Overall, one in seven women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

The councils hope the new mound lighting, with a range of colours, will be used to support other charities and events throughout the year. It is set to glow red in November for Remembrance.