Callie Campbell
For the last year Callie has been heading up the Uni Boob Team at Cardiff university, and it’s fair to say she’s smashed it. We spoke to her about balancing the boob team with third year uni life, and why she’s not looked back once.
Hi Callie! Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a third year Human Geography student at Cardiff University. I spend my time speaking about boobs/pecs to anyone who will listen and when I’m not doing that I’m either in the gym, library or nearby coffee shop (let’s face it, everyone needs expresso at University these days)!
How did you get involved with CoppaFeel!?
I got involved with CoppaFeel! during my second year because of my love for fundraising and making a difference. The message that CoppaFeel! promotes is one that resonates with me and will do for the rest of my life, hence why I decided to join Uni Boob Team (UBT) and spend my time spreading awareness to those around me. Cancer could affect us all and while many people refuse to believe it, I strongly admire the message of CoppaFeel! as they make the prospect less scary and simply teach you a skill that indeed could save your life. I wanted to do something worthwhile for a charity that I believe in 100% and CoppaFeel! best fit that bill!
For the last year you’ve been the Uni Boob Team leader at Cardiff – what does that involve?
Being a UBT Leader involves organising an amazing team to arrange and complete a variety of fundraisers and missions. I came down to London to attend Boob School at the start of the 2017 academic year and since then it has been ‘all systems go’. While I do have to do a lot of admin to make sure the society stays at Gold Tier level, it is great to look back on and see how much progress we have made throughout the year! Overall, being a UBT leader means being incredibly positive and ready for any challenge or opportunity to wear glitter and stick stickers E V E R Y W H E R E. It is the best job in the world, for sure!
Do you think there’s still a need to raise awareness about breast cancer?
Breast Cancer is not just going to disappear and so it is very important that we continue to raise awareness and increase the likelihood of early diagnosis. Equally, it is incredibly important to make young people aware of the cause, as the stigma that older women are the only group developing breast cancer is inaccurate and needs to be challenged. Men also need to become aware that they have breast tissue and should be checking their pecs as often as girls check their melons!
How have you seen your hard work pay off this year?
This year Cardiff UBT has raised over £4,100 and we’ve spoken to the majority of societies and groups across campus. The most amazing thing was that we won best Volunteering and Charity society at the National Societies Awards. The success of our work is undeniably shown in the attitudes of fellow students who both recognise our campaigns and applaud it for teaching them a skill that they’ve passed on to family members and incorporated into their daily routine. Having students thank us for our hard work and making a change to their life is the best feeling in the world and I truly believe we have changed lives with every fundraiser, text sign up and event we promote.
What’s been the best thing about your experience?
The best thing about my UBT experience has been leading and meeting my amazing team. While we started off as a group of students from across different schools, backgrounds and interests, we have all come together and formed a sister-hood that is unbreakable and I know will grow from strength to strength. Being able to pass on this amazing team to another group of remarkable girls, fills me with so much pride and admiration. I look forward to seeing how much Cardiff UBT continues to grow and achieve but also I am very excited to see how much of an impact they will make to the lives of Cardiff students.
Ok, and what about the most challenging thing?
The most challenging part of being a UBT leader has been juggling my work load (dissertation stress mostly) and all the fundraisers and challenges we put on. While it meant spending some late nights in the 24 hour library, looking back I wouldn’t change a thing. I thrived in the challenge of completing each mission and leading my team and I think that is what has made the experience so special. It has been a journey, one long, busy, crazy, exciting journey that has shaped my university experience for the better and allowed me to grow into a person I am very proud of being!
