It has been a busy week for Tayside breast cancer awareness campaign, Jog for Jugs.
When their video campaign launched recently, founder Becky Chapple could never have imagined they would reach their initial £1,000 goal in just two hours.
Now, after increasing their fundraising target to £8,008, the campaign has met its second goal in less than four days.
Going worldwide
Over 500 people from around the world have donated to the campaign, which is raising money for breast cancer charity, CoppaFeel!.
Having reached their second milestone, Becky and her “Titty Committee” from Broughty Ferry have set themselves a new goal of fundraising £18,008, which will all go towards supporting CoppaFeel! in meeting their ultimate goal: helping everyone stand the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer.
UN-BOOB-LIEVABLE – we’ve hit our cheeky £8008 target!! 🎯🍉🍉
You’re all amazing and we can’t thank you enough for your donations and Check Yourselfies.
We’re increasing our goal once again and hope to hit by campaign close on May 8th!— Jog for Jugs🏃♀️4️⃣🍉🍉 (@Jog_For_Jugs) April 15, 2021
Becky enthuses: “We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who has already donated, and we’re beyond excited to see what happens next.
“When we originally planned the campaign over a socially-distanced glass or two of wine, £8,008 going towards CoppaFeel! was our wildest dream. To reach that number in just five days is beyond anything we expected, and we’re hopeful that as more joggers nominate their friends, we’ll hit our new target.”
Raising awareness
The campaign took off last week when their video showcasing different slang words for ‘breasts’ hit screens.
Featuring famous Scottish faces including Lorraine Kelly, Lee McKenzie and Emma Louise Connolly, the video aimed to raise awareness and encourage viewers to check their breast tissue for abnormalities.
The campaign is challenging people to complete 8km, donate £8 to the JustGiving page, and nominate eight friends to do the same. Not only does the number eight help to spell out the word “BOOB” in the campaign’s fundraising targets, it makes reference to the one in eight women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Becky’s mum, Susan, was one of these women, which spurred on the creation of Jog for Jugs and has been one of the main driving forces behind the campaign’s efforts and achievements.
Superstar 🌟 Thank you so much for your incredible support Lindsey 🙏🏻 https://t.co/ywuOxHRmf2
— Jog for Jugs🏃♀️4️⃣🍉🍉 (@Jog_For_Jugs) April 10, 2021
Participants have also been sharing “Check Yourselfies” on social media: selfies with their hand on their chest, to dispel any stigma or embarrassment that may arise from the process of checking for changes.
Becky continues: “We’ve been thrilled to see so many ‘Check Yourselfies’ – for us, the really important thing is that everyone learns how to check their boobs or pecs for changes, and does so regularly.”
According to charity Breast Cancer Now, almost half of women do not check their breasts regularly for changes, with 10% saying they have never done so. The most common reason for this was simply forgetting.
The boys of @ubtsheffield want you to help you get clued up on checking your pecs. Why? Because although breast cancer is more common in women, 400 men in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Get to know your normal, whatever your gender. pic.twitter.com/ZVW177JkWw
— CoppaFeel! (@CoppaFeelPeople) April 14, 2021
Checking for changes in breast tissue is not just for women: Men can also develop breast cancer, making up around 1% of UK cases.
Regardless of gender, it is essential to regularly check for abnormalities: checking is quick, easy and ultimately, can be lifesaving.