Meet the students running Pink Week for Breast Cancer Care

As Sussex gets ready for a week jam-packed with events to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, The Tab caught up with Georgia Lewis (pictured left) and Ru Chulkova, the busy student organisers behind the events.

What was the inspiration for pink week?

GEORGIA: Pink Week was founded by a girl named Nina Rauch following the death of her mother Dina Rabinovitch (a breast cancer activist and Guardian columnist) in 2011.

Nina originally set up a Pink Week at her school in North London, and then at Cambridge University in 2013. Pink Week was then taken to Bristol and Durham Universities and even UCLA. I have mutual friends with Nina in London and felt close to the cause and felt like it was something that Sussex students would really get behind and fight for.

I saw how successful each Pink Week was at the various universities and wanted to give Pink Week that ‘Sussex’ twist.

We want to bring some of Brighton’s creativity to Pink Week through our events. My personal aim is to get people to think about breast cancer risks rather than just ‘awareness’.

What are the aims of Pink Week at Sussex?

G: Of course we aim to raise awareness, but we also want to educate on the risks and causes of breast cancer, and the signs of early detection. Since starting Pink Week I have been concerned with the links between breast cancer and the shop bought products that we use everyday – such as deodorants and perfumes.

We also want to make sure that boys are aware that breast cancer can occur in males (although a very small number compared to women).

We have planned for a doctor to give a talk on campus on the science behind cancer, as well as ways to carry out breast exams. We also have someone speaking about the links between food and disease prevention. We hope to raise as much money as possible for Breast Cancer charities through our events, while also providing an entertaining week for all!

Do you have a slogan, if not what would it be?

RU & G: The Pink Week slogan is ‘Pink Week believes in a cure’. We want to live in a world without breast cancer!

Can you summarise each of the events a little more? Which event are you looking forward to the most?

R: So we have five events happening throughout the week. We have a night at Komedia in collab with the collective Bangin Lemz on Saturday 14th November.

Then we have an arts and crafts day at Patterns. For this one we’ve got lots of collaborators – CULT MILK, SMOKE+MIRRORS COLLECTIVE, TYPICAL GIRLS magazine and SUSSEX SPOTIFY. So that’s from 12-8pm on Sunday 15th – this is probably the one I’m most looking forward to! We have lots of workshops – Illustration, Pimp my bra, pompom making, head dress making, smoothies, nail painting, weaving (and plenty more!) as well as live music from around 5.30pm. We’ll also be selling clothing and original artwork from Brighton based artists and students. So plenty to let the creative juices flow!

On Wednesday 18th, we have a talk by a leading doctor on Sussex campus at 2pm as well as a bake sale – and on the same evening we are collaborating with the amazing Sofar Sounds for a secret living room gig – apply for guestlist here. All proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Care.

What has it been like organising pink week?

G: Honestly we feel like zombies! We haven’t slept, we have probably aged 10 years in the past week but we are slowly getting there and we bloody hope it’s worth it.

R: Oh yeah, we’ve also put together ‘Boob Zine’ which we will be selling at our events. We just sent that off to the printer’s today so that’s exciting. Also a HUGE weight off our haggard shoulders!

How many people are you expecting?

G: It’s hard to know from Facebook attendance. About 200 people are attending on Facebook on both the Komedia and Patterns events. We’re just hoping for a good turnout – the more the merrier… AND the more the more goes to charity.

Have you ever done anything like this before?

G & R: No we haven’t and obviously we’re learning as we go. It’s both terrifying and exciting!

How can Tab readers help the cause?

R: Just please come along to as many events as you can, buy a zine and just come have fun with us!! And remember ALL GENDERS ARE WELCOME. Pink isn’t just for girls!