PEOPLE with breast cancer need you.

And they need you now. Every year, around 55,000 women and 370 men in the UK have their lives turned upside down by a breast cancer diagnosis.

In 2007 I experienced this first hand when I was told I had the disease. Nearly five years after I finished treatment I was diagnosed with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer which had spread to my liver.

Secondary breast cancer can be treated but cannot be cured.

I’ve worked with the charity Breast Cancer Now for a long time because they’ve been with me right from the start.

That’s why I’m calling on readers join me this August by hosting an afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is Breast Cancer Now’s annual fundraising event, that gives you a chance to get together with friends, family or colleagues over a cake in the garden, or a picnic in the park, to raise money for charity.

Money raised will help Breast Cancer Now continue to provide award-winning health information, fund cutting-edge research projects, and give someone much-needed reassurance on their helpline, which I know from calling the team myself, can make all the difference.

Research into finding new treatments is incredibly important and everyday Breast Cancer Now’s research in the lab brings us closer to a future where everyone with breast cancer lives and is supported to live well. By hosting an afternoon tea, you can raise vital funds to help researchers get there faster.

I’ve hosted an afternoon tea this year and loved being able to invite friends over to share in my passion with food, whilst raising money for a cause close to my heart. This year’s afternoon tea fundraising kit includes a whole host of exciting decorations and games to make your event special, including beautiful bespoke bunting designed by iconic British brand Cath Kidston.

Sign up for your fundraising kit at breastcancernow.org/cuppa

JANE DEVONSHIRE

MasterChef 2016 winner and Breast Cancer Now supporter