Our annual #FeelYourBreast Campaign is back for the third year in a row and we’re over the moon to be partnering with CoppaFeel! for another year of boob-feelin’ goodness.
CoppaFeel!’s goal is simple: to get everyone checking, regardless of age or gender.
For three years now, CoppaFeel! have worked closely with us to help us bring our campaign to life with their insights, their community and of course, all of the life saving work that they do off the back of our donations.
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we caught up with Jenna, CoppaFeel!’s Partnerships Manager, on all things CoppaFeel!, the work that they do and how our #FeelYourBreast Campaign impacts them year after year.
Keep on reading to find out more.
Tell us a little bit about CoppaFeel!, your mission and what you do.
CoppaFeel! exists to educate and remind every young person in the UK that checking their boobs, chest or pecs isn’t only fun, it could save their life. Our mission is to give all young people the best chance of surviving breast cancer by ensuring that every case is diagnosed early and correctly.
Breast cancer can affect anybody and we want everyone to know the importance of getting to know your chest and what’s normal for you. We do this by spreading vital awareness amongst young people in their natural environment; whether that’s at a festival, on a uni campus, on their phone on social media, or through shopping with their favourite brand, like Lounge!
What services and support do you provide for people with and beyond cancer?
Our work focuses on spreading awareness amongst all young people as, despite being the most common cancer in females aged 25-49, a quarter of young people aren’t aware breast cancer could affect them. We provide a wide range of services to ensure that chest-checking is on everyone’s agenda.
This includes our education programmes, like our many Uni Boob Teams who spread awareness on university campuses across the country, and our brilliant Boobettes, our wonderful volunteers who have been diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 35. We also work with Healthcare Professionals and non-clinical staff to promote the breast awareness message. We’re always working on new ways to spread awareness, build confidence and encourage young people to check, like our Self-Checkout tool and our new trans and non-binary checking resources made in collaboration with Live Through This.
Last year was a really tough time for so many. How did the funds raised from last year's #FeelYourBreast Campaign impact you?
As was the case for many people and organisations, 2020 brought a new set of challenges to CoppaFeel! and our boob-iverse. Our income and activities were heavily impacted by the pandemic. Our income was reduced by 50% and the majority of our much-loved events and programmes were paused or cancelled entirely.
However, thanks to our brilliant BCAM Brand Breasties, like Lounge, we were able to enter 2021 raring to go. The funds raised from last year’s campaign meant we could sustain and develop our volunteer groups, the Boobettes and our Uni Boob Teams , both virtually and now slowly back to in-person volunteering. Thanks to our partners we were able to release our new campaign, #KnowYourself, and spread the word about our new Self-Checkout tool. Plus, we continued to roll out the services which many know and love us for.
A £10 monthly donation is enough to remind 200 people to check their boobs, once a month, every month, by sending them one of our Life Saving Monthly Text Reminders. So just think what the incredible difference from the #FeelYourBreast campaign has made for our small but mighty charity; we think it’s pretty legendary.
This year, we plan to go bigger and better! What are you most looking forward to with this year's campaign?
#FeelYourBreast is truly a fantastic campaign, so we’re excited to see it come to life in new ways in 2021. We just know that the 100,000 thongs, four styles, brilliant Legends sharing their incredible stories, and beautiful campaign imagery brought to life with the amazing Sophie Tea, will welcome many more people than ever! We’re excited to see the #FeelYourBreast community get involved, post content, donate and most importantly, check their boobs, chest or pecs and know their normal; it really could change your life.
What's something many people might know about CoppaFeel!?
That we’re small but mighty! We started off as a determined duo when our founders Kris and Maren, sat with their friends around their kitchen table (where all the best ideas are born). Now, we’re a team of 19 housed in Boob HQ, our office in South London, and we’re still working hard to have a big voice in the world of cancer charities.
Our little team gets lots done, but we couldn’t do it without partners like Lounge, who not only amplify our message so it reaches more young people across the UK (and all over the world!) but that raise important funds for us so that we can grow as a charity and shout about your chests louder than ever. Basically, we couldn’t do it without you guys.
What's the best part about doing what you do?
Meeting inspiring young people whose lives have been impacted by our message. Every month, we hear about people who tell us that because of having our sticker in the shower, receiving our text messages, seeing our campaign or a partner activity, they checked, found something that wasn’t normal for them and had the confidence to visit their doctor. Plus, having the opportunity to work with amazing individuals who have had a breast cancer diagnosis, or a close connection to the cause; like our Boobette volunteers, or of course, the Lounge Legends.
Despite being the most common cancer in females aged 25-49, a quarter of young people aren’t aware breast cancer could affect them. We know the power sharing young people’s experiences can have, so we are so grateful to those who share their story to help spread the word about our work and make a huge difference as we grow.
Want to help CoppaFeel! continue their life saving work? Well, good news, Loungers. You can still donate all month long! Place your donations here.
Remember: 100% of donations received will go directly to our amazing charities, CoppaFeel! & Trekstock, and will help them continue making a difference.
Together, we can get the world confident in checking.