As part of Avon’s Breast Cancer Promise, Avon UK is proud to partner with CoppaFeel!, a breast cancer awareness charity on a mission to educate, encourage and empower young people to get to know their bodies.
I’m Jenna, Partnerships Manager here at Boob HQ, and also known as the Brand Breastie Guardian for CoppaFeel! and Avon’s Partnership. It’s a complete pleasure to take over Avon’s blog today, to let you know more about CoppaFeel! this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, answer some frequently asked questions, plus give you some tips about things you can do to be more breast aware; because early detection saves lives.
CoppaFeel! is the first breast cancer charity in the UK to solely create awareness amongst young people, but really our message is for everyone as we ALL have breast tissue. We like to talk about a serious message in a light-hearted way, empowering people to start healthy habits for life. We want to ensure that people know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, check their chest regularly, and have the confidence to see their doctor if they spot anything that’s not normal for them.
You’ll find us spreading our message at festivals, universities, schools, workplaces, your shower, even your bra (or of course, perhaps in your Avon brochure…). We’re here to make sure that your boobs are top priority, because breast cancer can affect any body, and knowing yourself could save your life.
Our story started thirteen years ago with our founders, twin sisters Kris and Maren. After noticing a lump in her boob at 22, and repeatedly visiting her doctor, Kris was eventually diagnosed with incurable breast cancer. Kris was unaware that breast cancer could affect people in their twenties and knew very little about the disease. It struck her that there was very little information out there for young people, how they could be looking after themselves, and informing them that breast cancer can affect them too. So, around Kris and Maren’s kitchen table and then in a festival field, CoppaFeel! was born!
We’ve been on a big journey since then, and Avon has been such an important part of that. In fact, Avon even awarded CoppaFeel! its very first corporate grant! We’ve been officially working together in partnership since 2017, and the Avon community has been with us every step of the way in so many areas of our work.
Q) Tell us about bit more about the partnership with Avon; what’s involved?
Where to begin! Avon supports us across many areas of our awareness work, as well as raising vital funds to allow us to grow and spread our message.
Avon has been behind our CoppaCollege learning module, which has educated thousands of your community about how to check their chests. Nowadays, you shout loud and proud about our award winning Self-Checkout Tool, which is a one-stop shop for getting started with checking, aiming to address the barriers to checking and create a personalised experience. Avon representatives have also been behind the distribution of over 5,000 awareness materials over the last three years; we’re talking leaflets, checking cards, the lot. Avon has also signed up thousands to our text reminder service, which gives you a handy text at the beginning of each month to encourage you to check.
Also something which is very special to us, is Avon’s support and sponsorship of the Boobettes. The Boobettes are our volunteer army of incredible people who spread our message via talks and stands all over the country, free of charge. Now over 250 strong, these amazing women all have a story to tell around their experience of breast cancer, and they couldn’t do their wonderful work without the support of Avon. Each and every Boobette wears the Avon logo proudly on their uniform, and we couldn’t be happier.
And we can’t forget about fundraising! From Reps and Sales Leaders hosting iconic ‘Boob Brunches’, to members of the Avon Community heading out on our CoppaTreks to raise funds, to the incredible selection of products that have been on sale benefitting CoppaFeel! with donations over the years, Avon have fundraised hundreds of thousands of pounds for CoppaFeel!, a complete game changer for us in allowing us to grow. In fact, in the first 9 months of 2022, Avon products have raised an incredible £120,921.90 for CoppaFeel! - and that was pre BCAM which is utterly amazing.
Q) What impact do the funds that Avon raise in our partnership have on CoppaFeel!?
Avon’s funds allow us to reach more people with our life-saving message. Despite the pandemic impacting our in person interactions, the funding that partners like Avon provide has enabled us in 2022, to send out over a million text reminders, and deliver over 240 Boobette talks and welcome over 16,000 new users to our self-checkout. Any fundraising makes such a huge difference; just £10 could produce 500 checking cards, all the way up to £340 which could train a Boobette to get started in spreading our message.
All these resources and programmes are vital to get people talking about knowing their normal; Avon has harnessed the power of beauty to spark life saving conversations and we are so grateful.
Q) Tell us the best thing about working with Avon?
I’d say it’s got to be meeting members of the Avon community in person, and hearing stories of fundraising brilliance! Over the years we’ve thanked incredible people who have organised everything from tea parties to hikes to golf days, sampled pink curries in the canteen, met Reps who have shared their own stories with us,joined us in trekking across the country (and beyond) and even recently hosting the team at Boob HQ to film some TikTok content and make some big BCAM plans. We’re a small charity with big dreams, so to meet so many people who are passionate about amplifying our work is truly amazing. And of course, I wouldn’t be in our fundraising team without mentioning the feeling when I hear the product sales fundraising totals each quarter; always the best kind of email to receive in my inbox!
Q) Tell us what 5 things people can do to support the partnership
- Sign up to our Text Reminders! Text BOOB CREW to 82228 to receive yours today.
- Visit self-checkout.coppafeel.org to try out our Self-Checkout Tool; we hope you like it!
- Donate! Text MELONS to 70085 to donate just £5.
- Visit this link to download your bespoke Avon Fab-boob-ulous Fundraising guide and take part in some fund and awareness raising with your own community.
- Purchase the Avon products that give back
That’s all from me, all that’s left to say is a huge thank you from us all at Boob HQ to everyone at Avon; we couldn’t do what we do in the name of boobs without you.
Be sure to follow us @coppafeelpeople or visit coppafeel.org to stay in touch!
Boob love,
Jenna x