Singer supports new cancer Haven

Walsh (r) said the centre was a "really calming" place

Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh has opened a new breast cancer support centre in Leeds.

Bradford-born Walsh unveiled the Breast Cancer Haven with her former dance teacher Deana Morgan, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.

The centre offers free complementary therapies and support to sufferers and their families from across Yorkshire.

Walsh, whose new single with Girls Aloud is number one in the charts, said the centre was "fantastic".

The centre, in the Gateway building on East Street, was opened by London-based charity Breast Cancer Haven after successful ventures in Hereford and London.

The charity said it was the only centre of its kind in the north of England and aims to reach out to the 4,000 women a year who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

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New breast cancer centre

Walsh, 26, said: "It's just something I can do to be here and raise awareness and obviously I jumped at the chance to be here and with it being in Leeds as well, it's great.

"We've just looked around and it's a fantastic place, it's really calming.

"There's therapy rooms and there's places we can just sit down and chill out and talk to people who have been through similar things so I think it's an amazing thing and they have done a fantastic job with it, it's lovely."

'Fantastic achievement'

Mrs Morgan, who runs the DM Academy in Bradford, pushed Walsh to audition for the ITV programme Popstars: The Rivals, in which she won a place in Girls Aloud.

She said she was feeling "fine" after receiving treatment for cancer, and was honoured to be asked to unveil the new centre with her former student.

"We need something like this so people can come her and share our experiences and have complementary therapies."

Sara Davenport, founder of Breast Cancer Haven, said: "We opened the first Breast Cancer Haven in 2000 believing no one should have to face breast cancer alone.

"It is such a fantastic achievement to be opening the third haven in Leeds, meaning thousands more women will receive the care and support they need at this difficult time."