Her Campus Leeds worked closely with the University of Leeds CoppaFeel! team last year, to raise awareness of breast cancer and the importance of checking your boobs for early signs. This year, CoppaFeel! are back with a brand new campaign….
CoppaFeel! was founded in October 2009 by Kristin Hallenga, who herself was misdiagnosed twice with breast cancer at age 23, and now lives with secondary breast cancer. CoppaFeel!’s mission is to ensure all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible, at which treatments are more effective and survival rates higher, and the best way of doing that is to get everyone in the country checking their boobs regularly.
Across the country, student volunteers, known as ‘Uni Boob Teams’ are helping to promote the charity’s SMS reminder sevice, which sends recipients free text reminders to check their boobs each month.
Each year CoppaFeel! instigates a new campaign; this year it is all about signing up your fingers (aka your little soldiers) to check your boobs. Themed around the army, students will be invited to go to recruitment stations – manned by the Uni Boob Team to receive enrolment cards and medals for enlisting their fingers to CoppaFeel!
By cultivating a strong student presence CoppaFeel! wants to eradicate the taboos and common misconceptions around checking boobs from a young age. CoppaFeel!’s goal is to make you, and the people around you, realise that the sooner they start checking in life, the more comfortable they will be knowing what is normal for them and take a habit into later life that could one day save their lives.
This year the campaign is being supported by boohoo.com, who have equipped teams with lots of merchandise and a 20% discount for every student who enlists their little soldiers, further helping the teams promote CoppaFeel!’s important message; that knowing your boobs could save your life.
Here at Leeds, the team will be looking to recruit your little soldiers at the Freshers Fair on Tuesday 24th September. Not forgetting the big pink BooHoo bus that will be appearing outside Leeds University Union on the 9th October!
Your Uni Boob Team will be hosting a whole host of activities in order to get you boob aware. To join the team contact your Uni Boob Team Leader Shelley Parry via tweeting @UBTLeeds, or find them on Facebook – CoppaFeel! University of Leeds.
You can also follow the Uni Boob Team on Twitter – @uniboobteam for updates on what is going on at campuses across the country!
Finally, you can visit www.uniboobteam.com to find out more about the campaign and discover photos of what uni boobie-based shenanigans are happening up and down the country!
If you would like more information about CoppaFeel! contact Sarah Magee, Uni Boob Teams Manager sarah@coppafeel.org or 02034 404 395