Every October, we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise money, spread awareness, and help reduce the risk of breast cancer. It’s an important cause that we can all contribute to. As Breast Cancer UK writes, “sadly, we all know someone touched by breast cancer” and every ten minutes, someone is told they have the disease. The good news is that we understand how to reduce the risk of breast cancer, including physical activity (which can reduce risk by 20%) and early detection through breast cancer screenings. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to work together to promote screening initiatives and improve breast cancer outcomes for all.
In this post, we highlight and applaud the work of three leading charities: Breast Cancer Now, CoppaFeel!, and Breast Cancer UK. We share details about their creative and inspiring Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaigns and ways that you can get involved. These campaigns are more than just clever. Studies consistently show that awareness campaigns increase the uptake of breast self-examination and breast cancer screenings. We hope this post demonstrates the impact of these charities and inspires you to get involved.
Breast Cancer Now’s “Wear It Pink” Campaign
Breast Cancer Now changes the lives of people affected by breast cancer through a powerful combination of research and support. The charity’s team of researchers works tirelessly in labs across the UK and Ireland to build a brighter future and its support services serve the over 600,000 people living with or beyond the disease.
For the last 20 years, the charity has hosted a “Wear it Pink” campaign every October to raise money for life-saving research and vital support. It’s one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK and has raised £39 million to date. The concept is simple but powerful. It asks people to wear pink—in their communities, schools, and workplaces—with supporters hosting pink-themed bake sales, movie nights, or costume parties.
Get involved: First, register to Wear it Pink. Once you’re signed up, you’ll receive a fundraising pack with ideas, games, and decorations. You’ll also receive ongoing support for your Wear it Pink fundraising activities. Then, choose a location. This could be your home, a public park, a house of worship, anywhere. Next, choose a theme. Do you want to host a pamper night? A Wear it Pink brunch? Lastly, set up a JustGiving page and send the details in your invitation to family, colleagues, friends old and new, everyone!
CoppaFeel! and the “Boobettes” Campaign
CoppaFeel! is a breast cancer awareness charity that educates and reminds young people about breast health and the importance of breast self-examinations. CoppaFeel! is the first breast cancer charity in the UK that focuses solely on young people to provide resources and tools and empower them to adopt healthy habits for life. The vision of the charity is a world in which everyone has the best possible chance of early diagnosis and surviving breast cancer.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, check out CoppaFeel!’s Boobettes campaign. The charity, in general, adopts a light-hearted approach to engage young people around serious issues—and this campaign is no exception! The idea is that people are more likely to feel empowered and take action from their peers or someone they can relate to. The Boobettes are a group of volunteers who have had an experience with (or connection to) breast cancer under the age of 35. The Boobettes share their stories to educate people about breast health and cancer prevention.
Get involved: If you think you qualify to become a Boobette, you can learn more here. Another way to support the cause is to book a customised and inspiring educational session with the Boobettes—this could be at your workplace, school, community group, really anywhere. In 2021, the Boobettes delivered nearly 250 sessions reaching an estimated 14,900 people.
Breast Cancer UK’s Online Resources
Breast Cancer UK leverages the latest in academic research to provide clear and practical guidance to people on how to reduce the risk of breast cancer. The charity is propelled by the fact that we have many opportunities to reduce breast cancer rates in the UK by at least a third. Notably, Breast Cancer UK focuses on the role of hormone-disrupting chemicals in increasing the risk of breast cancer. It works with organisations to raise awareness and fund game-changing research.
Every day of the year, Breast Cancer UK provides helpful resources via its website and mobile app. This includes games to help people learn more about risk factors, as well as educational content on everything from eating healthy and exercising to reducing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. You can also take a simple “prevention quiz” to get a personalised plan of changes you can make to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Get involved: The easiest way to support Breast Cancer UK is to use and share the resources its created. Let your friends, family, and colleagues know about the wealth of practical advice the charity offers and encourage people to learn more and take action toward improved health. If you’d like to take action in a different way, consider taking on a 30-day challenge—just commit to spend any 30 days doing an exercise-based challenge, from swimming to starjumps. You can also register for a fundraising pack and plan your own creative fundraiser for Breast Cancer UK.
We hope this post illuminates the important work of Breast Cancer Now, CoppaFeel!, and Breast Cancer UK to promote early detection, breast cancer screenings, and lifestyle changes during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It really matters. In another study, public interest in six of 13 cancers was significantly higher during their respective awareness months. Now is the time to donate and get involved with these game-changing charities. How else are you and your charity raising awareness around breast health? We’d love to hear your story and we look forward to hearing from you.