INSPIRED by a kind donation of colour and warmth, Knit Your Socks Off has been launched to raise awareness and help cancer patients through treatment.

Samina Hussain, from Slough, received the shock diagnosis of breast cancer last August, at the age of 45, having had no history of cancer in her family and finding the lump only by accident.

The mother-of-three and grandmother said: “The chemo was hard work, painful, I lost all of my hair and I was very poorly.”

But a friend came up with a great idea to help ‘brighten up’ her treatment sessions.

She said: “I would get very cold when having my chemo treatment. My friend knitted me some chemo socks and they were an absolute godsend.”

Having already organised fundraising events for the Ashford Suite in King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor, where she was treated, Mrs Hussain decided to donate 10 pairs of socks knitted by her friend to patients at the clinic, before taking the idea a bit bigger.

She said: “With long winter nights on the way I thought if we can do 10 pairs we can do 100 by Christmas.”

So, as a way of helping cancer patients while raising awareness Mrs Hussain has set up Knit Your Socks Off, encouraging people to donate socks if they can knit or wool if they cannot.

She said: “Life happens so why not make it more colourful? “This is about raising the profile and showing people cancer does not mean your life is ending. She added: “We want to create an epidemic in knitting.

“It’s about making a difference to the chemo journey – it’s horrid but let’s brighten it up.”

Dr Narotham Thanvi, consultant oncologist at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, said: “Samina's efforts have been greatly appreciated by staff and patients at Ashford Chemotherapy Suite here at King Edward VII Hospital. It’s initiatives like theses that make a difference to so many people’s lives and their families."

Knit Your Socks Off is having a knitting refresher workshop on September 19, at 11am at Asian Star 101.6 FM in The Observatory for anyone interested in practicing their knitting skills.

Drop off points for socks and wool are Asian Star Radio and Comms Team at Slough Borough Council, St Martins Place, Bath Road in Slough.

For more information Call 07904 864448 or email aspire.2b@hotmail.co.uk