Our Story
CoppaFeel! was founded in 2009 by Kris Hallenga and her twin sister Maren, after Kris was diagnosed with incurable (stage 4 / secondary) breast cancer at the age of 23.
Early detection can save lives."
"CoppaFeel! was born because I was never told to check myself and I didn't know I could get breast cancer at 23... So now we educate young people about why they should start checking from a younger age so that all breast cancer is diagnosed early"
Kris’ Story
What happens at 23? Well, if you’re lucky, seeing a bit of the world, brunching with mates and a whole load of carefree fun. And if you’re less lucky? Breast cancer. After finding a lump at 22, living abroad in China for 8 months and eventually visiting her doctor 3 times, Kris was told the news that she had incurable breast cancer. Kris was unaware that breast cancer could affect people in their twenties and knew very little about the disease. It struck her that there was very little information out there for young people, educating them about breast cancer, how they could be looking after themselves and informing them that breast cancer doesn’t just affect women over 50.
Although Kris will always live with cancer, she wanted to get the message out there to young people that detecting cancer early means you have a higher chance of surviving and recovering. She wanted people to learn from her story and become proactive about their own health. The idea for CoppaFeel! was born.
Kris sadly died in 2024 and CoppaFeel! are committed to honouring her legacy by continuing to spread our chest checking message.
The Story So Far
From 2009 to present day, we've done a lot. From creating checking tools, to projecting onto the Houses of Parliament, to showing the first nipple on TV, check out our highlights below.
CoppaFeel! is born
Kris and her twin sister Maren create CoppaFeel! with the aim of encouraging other young people to be proactive about their health. CoppaFeel! is granted charity status and receives its very own charity number.
The First Festifeel
CoppaFeel!’s annual music and comedy festival ‘Festifeel’ is born in a small pub in London, with headline act Newton Faulkner.
Introducing the Uni Boob Team
The very first Uni Boob Team is launched, encouraging other students on campus to get to know their normal.
The launch of the text reminder service
CoppaFeel!’s very own free text reminder service is launched. Since then, thousands of reminders have been sent via SMS.
Say hello to the Boobettes
The power rangers of the boob world – The Boobettes – are born and head off to schools and workplaces to share their experiences with breast cancer and encourage more people to know their bodies. Now, there are over 100 Boobettes sharing CoppaFeel!’s message across the UK.
Rethink Cancer
CoppaFeel!’s Rethink Cancer campaign is launched to try to get cancer onto the school curriculum. The campaign is projected onto the Houses of Parliament.
What Normal Feels Like
CoppaFeel! launches the ‘What Normal Feels Like’ campaign, with the first nipples shown on a billboard.
Belinda takes over the festival field
CoppaFeel!’s very own pink Boobmobile ‘Belinda’ makes her way to the festival fields to speak to festival-goers about boob checking, adorned with glitter and boob beach balls.
The first nipple on TV
CoppaFeel!’s ‘Trust Your Touch‘ campaign airs the first ever nipple on TV, encouraging people to get familiar with their chests.
Boob Bot
We say hello to Boob Bot, CoppaFeel!’s very own messenger assistant that will talk you through a boob check, giving tailored advice and even offering a monthly reminder service.
Grab Life by the Boobs
In honour of CoppaFeel!’s 10th birthday, the ‘Grab Life by the Boobs‘ campaign is launched, encouraging the world to ‘grab life’ and get to know their bodies.
Tickled Pink!
CoppaFeel! joins Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign alongside Breast Cancer Now as an official charity partner, aiming to bring our life-saving message to Asda’s 18 million weekly customers.
Cancer education on the curriculum
The Department of Education announce health education alongside reformed sex and relationship education is to become compulsory in schools across the country. A HUGE step in the right direction since our Rethink Cancer campaign in 2013.
The Self-Checkout is born
CoppaFeel!’s very own Self-Checkout tool is launched, to help people feel more confident getting to know their normal. The online tool guides users step-by-step through a self-check, allowing them to choose their preferred terms and set up reminders.
Know Yourself
Anyone can be affected by breast cancer, but a quarter of young people don’t realise they are at risk. CoppaFeel! launches a new campaign ‘Know Yourself‘ to remind young people that getting to know their body could save their life.
The Chest Checklist
We partnered up with Black Women Rising, a community-led support project who were set up when their founder, Leanne Pero, discovered that mainstream cancer services were not inclusive enough in providing adequate support tailored to the Black and ethnic community.
Driven by the need to redress lack of Black skin representation in breast cancer communications, The Chest Checklist aims to drive awareness and educate Black women on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, empowering them to seek medical advice if they notice any unusual changes.
