Preparations are underway to turn three Powys towns pink for Cancer Research UK: Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells and Rhayader.

Last year, a joke between colleagues at the Tesco supermarket in Llandrindod Wells resulted in turning not only their store, but the whole town pink for the charity; raising over £12,000.

Now, the idea has spread, and three mid Powys towns are preparing to turn everything from shop windows to lamp posts pink from Monday, May 6 to Sunday, May 12.

Jayne Griffiths, the community champion of Tesco in Llandrindod Wells, said that last year was a huge success and a lot of fun.

She said: “Everybody joined in and did their bit, people still talk about it.”

She was only expecting six or seven shops in the town to take part, and couldn’t believe it when around 20 businesses decorated the outside of their stores in pink with ribbons, balloons, and anything else (pink!) they could get their hands on.

Jayne has been able to spread her idea across to other towns in Powys with the help of the Co-op, which has stores in both Builth Wells and Rhayader.

Glen Weale and Carolyne Finlow-Barrowdale, pioneers of the Co-op stores, will be helping to turn their towns pink; and the town councils in Builth Wells and Rhayader have shown support too.

With three towns to get pretty in pink this year, everything is being scaled up. This includes making an impressive 1,500 pink bows to attach to lampposts throughout the three towns, something Jayne has already made a start on with the help of her colleagues at the Tesco store in Llandrindod Wells.