COMPANIES in Worcestershire are being invited to bid to build the county’s new breast cancer unit.

The long-awaited £1.8 million Worcestershire Breast Unit was given the green light in December following a five-year fundraising campaign backed by your Worcester News.

Now Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – which will run the new unit when it opens in the autumn – has invited companies to bid for the job of refurbishing the building at 220 Newtown Road and turning it into a state-of-the-art treatment centre.

Trust chairman Harry Turner said: “We are delighted we have reached the next stage of the Worcestershire Breast Unit development.

“I am extremely grateful to the thousands of people who have raised money for the unit over a number of years.

“We are now extremely close to seeing the dreams of the Worcestershire Breast Unit campaign becoming a reality.”

Although the campaign has raised the £1.3 million needed for building work to begin, cash is still needed to pay for furniture, fixtures and fittings.

The campaign’s chairman Fiona Charny said: “The support from the community has continued to amaze us.

“The shopping list for kitting out the interior has proved to be very popular.

“We would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards this project so far.”

The centre will include a Haven unit offering free one-to-one, emotional support and complementary therapies for men and women affected by breast cancer and their families.