Joan Chapman, left, and Irene Burns Morton celebrated Fruity Friday with a smile last year

Joan Chapman, left, and Irene Burns Morton celebrated Fruity Friday with a smile last year

Tropical specialist Dole Fresh UK has been announced as the first headline sponsor of Fruity Friday, an awareness and fundraising campaign held by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

The campaign, which will launch on 14 May, aims to encourage people to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in their diet, as well as increasing public awareness about the link between diet, physical activity and cancer prevention.

Fundraisers at WCRF are also calling for companies to hold events such as a ‘Go Bananas by dressing down in yellow day!’ to help raise funds for the charity.

Teresa Nightingale, general manager at WCRF, said: “Fruity Friday is a really fun way to get the message out there that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables could reduce your risk of cancer.

“And this year’s Fruity Friday looks as though it is going to be bigger than ever with the contribution from Dole Fresh UK, and we are delighted they have agreed to get involved. Their involvement means the campaign can expand and grow from its existing success.

“The link between the Fruity Friday campaign and Dole Fresh UK really is a marriage made in heaven for us at WCRF.”

Jean-Marie Graux, managing director of Dole Fresh UK, said: “Dole Fresh UK in conjunction with our parent company, Compagnie Fruitière, is delighted to be able to sponsor the Fruity Friday campaign.

“We believe that this is a real opportunity for our business to support such a worthwhile cause and at the same time, encourage the further consumption of fruit in the UK.”