Last updated 11:48, Thursday, 27 November 2008

A SHOP that sells specialist lingerie to women who have suffered breast cancer has won a Dragons’ Den- style competition.

SHOWDOWN: Contestants and dragons at Trinity Enterprise during a Dragons’ Den event run by Abbey FM and A4e Enterprise LINDSEY DICKINGS REF: 0459601

Dawn MacWhannell set up Pretty in Pink in Church Street, Barrow, while recovering from her own five-year battle with breast cancer.

She and her husband Tom won £1,000 for equipment for the business and £800 worth of free advertising on local radio station Abbey FM.

More than 50 firms entered the competition run by the training provider Action For Employment – A4e – with Abbey FM.

The applicants were whittled down by A4e managers from other parts of the UK, and four finalists went into battle to win the hearts – and the cash – of three dragons at a showdown in Barrow.

Mrs MacWhannell, 38, said: “It was a fantastic. The competition was very strong. We were all winners but I am thrilled to bits I was the overall champion, so to speak.”

The Pretty in Pink shop opened in September and also has an internet site www.prettyinpink.uk.com

It was set up to provide specialist lingerie for women who have suffered breast cancer, which affects one in nine women in the UK.

Alongside mastectomy bras, the shop sells other lingerie including adolescent bras and also offers beauty treatments.

The other finalists who pitched their stories to three dragons were John Burke and his invention EZY drive aimed at teaching golf to school children; Sarah and Paul Cooksey, who run American diner Mustang Sally’s, in Dalton Road; and Helen Williams, who runs lifestyle support company Ladybirds in Dalton, which offers a range of services from ironing to home help.

A4e senior business adviser in Barrow Michael Stuart, who was one of the dragons, said all the finalists were excellent but added: “There could only be one winner and Dawn shone though.

“As someone with first hand experience of breast cancer Dawn offers products such as mastectomy bras and other support services to women who are going through or have experienced similar things.

“Dawn also offers a home visit service and a standard lingerie for all women.”

The other dragons were Ian Bell, a general manager at the Furness Building Society, and Amanda Bell, station manager of Abbey FM.

The competition was staged to focus on enterprise in Barrow.