Chorley All Saints’ CofE Primary School supports teacher diagnosed with breast cancer by raising funds with a special 'wig day'

Chorley All Saints’ CofE Primary School’s funny wig day was part of a wave of fundraising activity led by teacher Angela Ratclife, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in September 2022.

The 38-year-old mum of two has been a nursery teacher at All Saints for the last 12 years, but is currently off work due to treatment. Angela began chemotherapy in October, and is now preparing for a lumpectomy.

Explaining the idea behind wig day, Angela, who has a six-year old daughter and a nine-year old son, said: “During my time of having chemotherapy, my hair started coming out in clumps, so we decided to shave it off, but when I did that my two children got really upset about it, my little girl especially because she said I didn't look like mum anymore.

“So to make it a bit more fun for the children, we started to play about with wigs at home, like Puppy Patrol wigs and halloween ones, and the children seemed to relax, it seemed to make it easier for them. And then I was joking with my son and said that I'd take him to school with the puppy wig on, and he actually found it funny and said do it. So I did it that one day, and it prompted other children and parents to ask questions, and I realised that we were spreading awareness by doing that, so we decided to make it a proper fundraising challenge. We asked people to send wigs and donate to the JustGiving page and then I’d carry on wearing different ones on the school run, and it's been really successful.”

Following Angela’s school run fundraising, staff at All Saints offered to host a wig day themselves, to bolster up donations for Breast Cancer Now. So on Friday, January 20, pupils and staff all donned their best wigs in support of Angela, helping her JustGiving page go from £3500 before the wig day to £5000 over the weekened.

On the day, Angela commented: “It's been quite overwhelming, the fact that people want to support it and support me as well. How much effort they've gone to today was incredible. Obviously it's a hard time for lots of people given the cost of living crisis so the fact they want to part with their money and donate, it's amazing.”

To continue the wig fundrasing, when she is fit enough, Angela, originally from Wigan, hopes to arrrange a 5k wig walk with Wigan Council. For now, people can donate to her JustGiving page here.

Angela added: “I’d just like to make sure that people check themselves. I was very lucky because I accidentally found the lump, I wouldn't have regularly checked myself. So I want to highlight how important it is to get to know your own body and then if there's any changes at all, no matter how old you are, go and check with your GP. It comes as a shock when people know my age and the fact that I've got breast cancer, you assume it's for older people, you don’t expect it will affect people your age.”

For more information on how to check your breasts for any changes click here.