Brave breast cancer fighters share their journeys via Northamptonshire charity during awareness month

A Northamptonshire charity that supports women who have or had breast cancer has a new campaign to tie in with the awareness month.

Last year around 25 members of Breast Friends Northamptonshire took part in a photo shoot embracing their scars for a 2020 calendar.

Now the individual photos of the women are being used as part of the charity’s campaign launched for the month of October, which is breast cancer awareness month.

Shared alongside the photos is each of the women’s stories and their journey with the disease.

Bosses at the charity, which was founded locally in 2017 and now has more than 200 members in a private support group, hope that by sharing the stories women will be encouraged to check themselves regularly.

It is also hoped that women who are suffering from breast cancer will be made aware that there is peer-to-peer support out there from other women in similar situations.

Jules Kennedy, committee member and trustee of the charity said: “They are powerful images and we wanted to use them, as long as members were happy to share their stories.

“The response has been great so far.

“We’ve had a look at the statistics for our website and figures have gone up hugely.

“People are saying it is very powerful and each person has a different story from a different angle.

“I’ve even had members ringing me grateful that they wrote it all down as it helped them to realise what they had been through and how they feel, so it has been a two-way thing really.”

Alongside the brave women sharing their stories, the charity also has an ongoing campaign called ‘Know Yourself’, which encourages women to get to know their bodies and to check themselves regularly.

It also educates women on how often they need to check themselves and what they are looking for, as well as how and when.

The charity has artwork that explains how checks should be completed, which is shared regularly on social media.

Jules added: “The artwork says where to check and how to do it.

“You know your body better than anyone else does. We do not need to check everyday, but once a month so we know how we feel so when something is different we know it is different.

“Due to the pandemic, it is clear that people are not coming forward even though they think something isn’t right, so right now it is particularly important to share this message.

“We can’t leave it to chance. If we find something that is not right, we have to get it checked out. It’s important to us to keep that message going.”

To read how local women have been affected by breast cancer and to find out more about Breast Friends Northamptonshire, visit the charity’s website.

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