Meet Chloe
Chloe has been a Uni Boob Team volunteer for our charity for the last two years, and has spent the last 6 months heading up the Liverpool Uni Boob Team. We spoke to her about her experience of being a student brand ambassador and what it means to talk boobs on campus.
How did you get involved with the Uni Boob Team?
After entering my second year and beginning to look at the ‘real-world’ after Uni, I was struggling to find something worthwhile and FUN to put on my CV. After hours of skulking around the Freshers’ Fair, endlessly searching for something to get involved with, I spotted a girl jumping up and down out of the corner of my eye, and then – THE boob. I knew from that moment I had to get involved, and after a year of exciting, boob-filled activities – I decided to apply to be the a team leader. Something I have NEVER looked back on since.
What would your advice be to students wanting to get volunteering experience to add to their CV?
In my opinion, CoppaFeel! is the charity of dreams – their focus is on positivity and early detection and being proactive about your – which makes volunteering for them a blast. Oh, and of course, the MAD events and mounds upon mounds of glitter make the experience incredible. I would advise students to get involved with their Uni Boob Team, ASAP. The experience gained from volunteering is unbelievable, the ability to have real-world interactions with your university and other organisations will look ace on your CV – plus Team Leaders have the chance to apply for a certificate from the IPM (Institute of Promotional Marketing). If you’re really keen you can apply for their Summer Internship or join the charity and their Boobmobile at festivals. Basically, it’s probably one of the greatest opportunities you’ll have throughout your university career.
What is a typical day like for a Uni Boob Team leader?
You wake up after dreaming of a boob-checking utopia, in the whole country regularly checks their boobs/pecs and late-detection of breast cancer is a thing of the past. Realise dream was a dream. Check boobs. Go into Uni for the day. Blow up the boob and strap it on. Meet the other UBT volunteers and head to a fundraising/awareness event (e.g. glitter parties, dance classes, Boobette talks, Pub quizzes). Raise a ton of money (and a lot of eyebrows).
What’s the best bit about being part of the Uni Boob Team?
The people, 100%. You know that through default, the people signing up to get involved in UBT are going to be fun and caring- it’s a charity after all. It’s been so brilliant to get to know so many amazing girls and guys, who are so passionate about boobs (who isn’t?), and are so excited to dedicate their time to changing behaviour and saving lives.
What’s the most challenging aspect of the role?
I can’t pretend that UBT is all sunshine and rainbows. It can be HARD. UBT demands a lot of time and dedication toward fundraising and persuading others to sign up to text reminders. You will have to be organised, liaising with your university & local businesses months before you want to organise events. However, if you have a super committee, you can absolutely share the responsibilities and lessen your workload.
What inspires you?
Seeing change and knowing that I am making a difference. Say we get 50 people signed up to text reminders… it might sound small, but those are 50 people for whom our team has helped instill a life-saving habit. And one day it might save one of their lives. I know, it sounds dramatic – but, the more students that check their boobs, the more they will be able to notice changes, meaning that if they do notice something unusual, they’re more likely to have the confidence to go and get it checked out, at an earlier stage. And that means they’ll have the best possible chance of surviving this disease. Which is pretty insane when you think about it.
In three words, what does CoppaFeel! mean to you?
Strength, fun, boobs.
