Let’s Nail Breast Cancer 2020: How you can get involved

By Sophie Nutt | 01 October 2020 | Movers & Shakers, News

Lets Nail Breast Cancer

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time to particularly note the most common cancer in the UK. Every year, one in seven women are diagnosed with the disease, alongside roughly 370 men.

Fighting breast cancer is a cause that has always united the nail industry due to its impact on women and the predominantly female nature of the sector. In collaboration with the Future Dreams charity, Let’s Nail Breast Cancer was founded by Lisa Crook, the founder of Louella Belle, with support from René Lipsitz, Bio Sculpture UK founder, and Susan Gerrard, founder of Gerrard International. Sadly, Lisa and René passed away from breast cancer in 2017 and 2015 respectively.

Future Dreams is a charity that was founded in 2008 and is dedicated to raising funds for support, awareness and research for those touched by breast cancer. Each year, the charity collaborates with a number of beauty brands, distributors and companies to create Let’s Nail Breast Cancer, a month-long campaign to raise funds for the charity’s work.

Robbie Tomkins

Bringing in the boys
While previous campaigns have encouraged women to paint their nails pink throughout the month of October, this year has seen the focus shift towards men sporting pink manicures to raise awareness of the disease.

Session manicurist, Robbie Tomkins, is helping to lead this year’s Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign: “As lots of people know from my Scratch column last year, I used to work in public relations before I started my nail career and it’s something I still do on a freelance basis for extra income.

“I attended a conference call with Sam Landesberg, COO of Future Dreams, Andrew Bloch, founder of Frank PR, and some of the other trustees and pitched the idea of challenging men to paint their nails pink this year and everyone seemed to love it.”

Traditionally, the main aim of the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer is to raise awareness and money by encouraging salons and nail technicians to paint their clients’ nails pink throughout October and donate to the charity. However, this year sees a twist on the traditional campaign, with the charity encouraging men to paint their nails pink this month.

“Whether it’s a boyfriend, husband, brother, father or best friend, this year we’re mixing things up a little and are instead challenging men to sport a pink MAN-icure this October for our latest Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign,” – Robbie Tomkins. 

“I think one of the main challenges up to now has been how to make Let’s Nail Breast Cancer stand out in a month where so many other brands are raising money for breast cancer,” explains Robbie. “While women painting their nails pink is wonderful, its perhaps not very surprising. This is where this year’s twist is hopefully going to make the campaign really stand out in the crowd and raise lots of money in the process.

“Whether it’s a boyfriend, husband, brother, father or best friend, this year we’re mixing things up a little and are instead challenging men to sport a pink MAN-icure this October for our latest Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign. While pink can be anything from a discreet mink to a full fuchsia set, the point is to give men the opportunity to actively support someone they know who’s been touched by the disease.”

To support the campaign, Future Dreams has partnered with Jessica Nails, Bio Sculpture and Artistic Nail Design, who have joined forces to create an exclusive collection of six pink shades chosen specifically for this year’s Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign.

Each brand has renamed two of its most popular pink shades after some of the men who painted their nails pink for the photoshoot that has kicked off this year’s campaign – with one of the images adorning the cover of the Scratch October issue. The shades will be available in nail lacquer as well as gel polish for participating salons to encourage clients to wear and donate. All profits from the sales of these specially selected nail shades go directly towards breast cancer support, awareness and research.

How you can get involved
This year, Future Dreams is shifting the focus of the Let’s Nail Breast Cancer campaign by encouraging men to paint their nails pink and posting on their social media channels using the hashtags #LNBCboys and #LNBC20 for awareness.

As nail professionals, the charity is asking the industry to paint the nails of the men in their lives and post these nail images on your social media channels with the accompanying hashtags.

In addition to this, nail technicians and salons are invited to get involved with the campaign and take part by holding a fundraising even during October. There are a range of different events to get involved with, including:

  • Nail art competitions
  • Fashion show
  • Coffee mornings
  • Bake-off event
  • Raffles
  • Dress in pink

Let’s Nail Breast Cancer is just another way that people can get involved in helping to raise money for one of the most common forms of the disease in a way that also inspires creativity and togetherness,” adds Robbie. “The nail industry is huge and so we feel when we come together and shout loud enough, we can really make a difference.”

To donate, text LNBC followed by 2, 5 or 10 (to donate £2, £5 or £10) to 70500 or head to www.futuredreams.org.uk/nbc to make a donation of your choice. Clients can donate by placing a cash donation in a Future Dreams money box at participating salons. If you are a nail technician or salon and want to get involved, please email jolie@futuredreams.org.uk who will be able to send a free fundraising pack, which includes everything you need to get started.