A BLAENAU Gwent charity which raised over £1.5 million for breast cancer has closed.

In the Pink, a breast cancer charity based in Ebbw Vale was set up by a group of six trustees more than 13 years ago.

Elizabeth Sullivan, Carol Hancock, Wendy Cahill, Jackie Evason, Shan Caron and Brenda Shepherd started raising money for breast cancer after the group wanted to give something back to people who had helped women with the illness.

Trustee Wendy Cahill said: “We have decided to close because we are all getting older now and the work load is tremendous and we are not able to give it our full commitment, but we are all going to keep doing our own fundraising bits to keep raising the money.”

Over the years, In The Pink, has organised a number of sponsored walks, with the first being in 2002 along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal where 200 people registered and £11,600 was raised. Due to the popularity of the walk, the event grew each year into an annual event with thousands registering to participate and gradually the charity began raising around £100,000 every year. They have also had a special partnership with Monmouth Rotary Club who helped them raise £61,713.

The charity has also worked closely with Velindre Hospital, who they were able to present a £43,000 cheque to last month, Breast Cancer Wales and Nevill Hall Hospital.

Mrs Cahill said: “We have done a lot of other fundraising events including a fashion show; quizzes, bungee jumping and we have also sold items. We were also charity of choice for the Mayor of Ebbw Vale for three years and were named as “Group Volunteers of the Year” by the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action in 2008.”

“I think we worked so well together as a team because we are like a jigsaw puzzle, we all have our own roles.

“But we alone haven’t raised all the money; we attribute it to our volunteers and supporters for all the help they have given us over the years,” she said.