UEA’s CoppaFeel! Calendar Girls

Meet UEA’s very own calendar girls. Introducing UEA CoppaFeel! and its 2013 naked calendar.

11 years ago

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You may have seen them selling boobylicious buns in the Hive. You may have seen them strutting round campus with a giant faux-breast strapped onto them. But this Christmas, the lovely ladies of CoppaFeel! UEA are pulling their greatest stunt yet.

Move aside, WI ladies and Hollyoaks cast- this year there is definitely only one naked calendar that you want on your wall. The CoppaFeel! girls have bravely bared all in the name of charity, and The Tab spoke to the team to find out more.

CoppaFeel! is a nationwide charity set up by Kris Hallenga, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of just 23.

It emphasizes the need for young women to check their breasts for lumps and changes, by reminding them in an accessible way that breast cancer can strike anyone, even at a very tender age.

CoppaFeel! does so much to promote breast cancer awareness, including a scheme in which young women can receive a text each month reminding them to ‘cop a feel’ of their breasts Whilst the charity promotes a very serious message, it does so by trying to amuse and engage young women.

This year, UEA’s own CoppaFeel! team have been doing all they can to promote the charity, and the naked calendar is sure to make them even more of a talking point around campus.

Kate Marks, one of the students who has stripped off in the name of CoppaFeel! for the calendar said to The Tab ‘Making the calendar was such a liberating experience.

One of the most important aspects of the campaign is that it removes so many taboos- and this is really important when it comes to something like breast cancer.’ CoppaFeel!’s aims have a special resonance with Kate.

‘I found a non-cancerous lump two years ago, and it took me ages to get it checked out. It’s so reassuring to know what normal feels like for me, as breasts and bodies come in all different shapes and sizes’.

We all know someone who has been affected by cancer, and charities like CoppaFeel! are doing so much to help raise awareness of what we can do prevent the disease and to catch it in its early stages.

The calendar will also benefit a male cancer charity, with half the funds raised going towards the Movember initiative. So- as if this wasn’t already enough- we asked Kate why UEA students should buy the calendar.

She responded ‘If you want to spend about 5 seconds of your day having a mega chuckle, give some money to two amazing charities that are both about getting you to know your bodies better, and have something on your wall that will make your Nan’s eyes pop, then yes. Why not even buy two?’

With ladies as beautiful and inspirational as these, we don’t need telling twice! Cheers, CoppaFeel! We’ll be crossing off the days until your calendar arrives.

More details about the UEA CoppaFeel! Calendar can be found at https://www.facebook.com/UeaCoppaFeel. To receive a free text from CoppaFeel! every month reminding you to check your breasts, text ‘UEA’ to 70500. Photo credits: Jemma Hardy Goddard and Max Hetherington.