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CoppaFeel! is a breast cancer awareness charity based in London[1] focused on promoting early detection of breast cancer by encouraging women under 30 to regularly check their breasts.[2] CoppaFeel is a tongue-in-cheek reference to molestation.
| Formation | April 2009 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Kristin Hallenga and Maren Hallenga |
| Founded at | London |
| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Purpose | To give everyone the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer by speaking to young people in their natural habitat. |
| Headquarters | 1-4 Pope Street, London SE1 3PR |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51.499970°N 0.078370°W |
Region | United Kingdom |
Official language | English |
Key people | Natalie Kelly (CEO) |
| Staff | 15 |
| Website | coppafeel |
CoppaFeel! is a charity partner of Cosmopolitan magazine.[3]
CoppaFeel! was founded in 2009 by sisters Maren and Kristin Hallenga, after Kristin was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 23.[4] Despite a family history of cancer, doctors originally dismissed a tumor on Kristin's breast as “hormonal”.[1]
Driven by the difficult experience, the Hallenga sisters launched CoppaFeel! at Beach Break Live in 2009.[5]
CoppaFeel!'s awareness campaigns are based on increased physical self-awareness and monitoring one's breasts in the hopes of quickly detecting any changes.[6] Most campaign work is carried out at universities, music festivals, schools and work places and via national awareness campaigns around the UK.[5] CoppaFeel!'s ambassadors, called 'the Boobettes', are young women who experienced breast cancer at a young age.[7]
In Summer 2014, the organization launched the ‘What Normal Feels Like’ campaign, seeking to reclaim language and imagery associated with breasts.[8] Hundreds of women submitted pictures of their breasts, along with a descriptive word such as “wibbly” or “springy”, later used in a series of advertisements designed to normalise and desexualise female breasts.[9]
CoppaFeel! ran a ‘Cheknominate’ campaign, a “healthier” take on the Neknominate craze.[10] Cheknominate encouraged people to record themselves checking their breasts before nominating a friend to do the same. The Huffington Post were supportive of the campaign, and encouraged their readers to use the hashtag #Cheknominate on social media.[11]
Many of Coppafeel!’s publicity campaigns have involved the use of giant inflatable ‘boob’ costumes.[4] CoppaFeel! gained widespread media coverage after decorating The Angel of the North with a ‘boob hijack’ sticker.[12]
In 2015, CoppaFeel! founder Kristin Hallenga was profiled in Kris: Dying to Live, a documentary about her battle with terminal breast cancer.[13] She also played herself in The C Word, a BBC One adaptation of the book by cancer blogger Lisa Lynch.[14]
CoppaFeel! hosts the annual music festival, Festifeel, helping to raise money for breast cancer awareness.[15] It describes itself as "Britain's only boutique music festival with boobs in mind!".[16]
The organization's fundraising activities have received support from celebrities, including Fearne Cotton, Russell Howard, Newton Faulkner, Lorraine Kelly and Dannii Minogue.[17]
Radio presenters Greg James and Dermot O'Leary ran the 2013 Bath Half Marathon wearing giant inflatable "boobs" in support of CoppaFeel![18]
Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne appeared in a cinema campaign for Coppafeel!, encouraging viewers to check their boobs before the film started.[19]
In September 2012, Mel B posed topless in a Coppafeel! advert in Cosmopolitan magazine ahead of breast cancer awareness month.[20] The advert's risqué nature received mass-media coverage.[21]
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