Case Study: The Girls' Bathroom, A Culture-First Approach to Breast Cancer Awareness

The Girls' Bathroom was a collaborative initiative between North East London Cancer Alliance (NELCA) and Touchy-Feely, delivered as part of Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Month. The project was created to encourage open, honest conversations about breast health and breast cancer within Black and ethnically diverse communities by providing a culturally relevant, welcoming and engaging environment. 

By bringing together NHS clinicians, community voices and creative engagement, the event helped break down barriers to discussing breast health, increased awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and encouraged attendees to access NHS services and share life-saving messages within their communities.

As part of Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Month, North East London Cancer Alliance (NELCA) partnered with Touchy Feely to deliver The Girls' Bathroom – a first-of-its-kind community event designed to encourage conversations about breast health in a culturally relevant, welcoming and engaging environment.

Held in Shoreditch, the event reimagined how health education can be delivered by creating an immersive space inspired by the conversations women naturally have in bathrooms – open, honest and judgement-free. Rather than a traditional health event, attendees stepped into a vibrant environment featuring a live DJ, interactive installations, photo opportunities and creative displays, helping to create a relaxed atmosphere where conversations about breast health felt natural rather than intimidating.

Throughout the day, attendees were able to speak directly with NHS clinicians, ask questions about breast health, learn how to check their breasts for signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and receive trusted information about diagnosis, treatment and support services. Alongside these conversations, women engaged with interactive experiences, listened to personal stories and connected with others in a supportive community setting.

The combination of music, culture, creativity and healthcare professionals helped break down barriers that often prevent people from engaging with health services. By creating an enjoyable and welcoming experience, The Girls' Bathroom encouraged attendees to spend time exploring the space, return with friends and family, and leave feeling informed, empowered and more confident to take positive action for their health.

The Girls' Bathroom extended far beyond the event itself, with attendees, creators and partner organisations continuing to share key breast health messages across social media. This helped raise awareness among people who were unable to attend and encouraged ongoing conversations about breast cancer within local communities. More than 30 attendees also created and shared their own content following the event, while over 100 live tags and mentions were generated on the day, demonstrating strong community engagement and advocacy.

Campaign reach

• 700+ attendees attended the event, exceeding the 512 registrations.
• 627,903+ social media views generated across campaign content.
• 294,933 accounts reached through digital activity.
• 14,044 likes across campaign content.
• 546 comments demonstrating active community conversation.
• 4,579 shares and reposts, helping to amplify breast health messaging beyond the event.
• 30+ attendees created and shared their own content following the event.
• 100+ live tags and mentions across social media on the day of the event.

The combination of in-person engagement and digital storytelling ensured the campaign continued to reach new audiences after the event had ended, helping to normalise conversations about breast health and encourage more people to seek trusted NHS information and support.

The Girls' Bathroom received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, demonstrating the value of delivering health messages in a culturally relevant and community-led way. Many people described the event as something their community needed, with several expressing a desire for it to become a regular fixture.

Attendees reported feeling more confident in recognising the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and appreciated having the opportunity to speak directly with NHS clinicians in a welcoming, non-clinical environment. Many said the event helped them feel seen, supported and empowered to take control of their health, while others committed to sharing what they had learnt with their families and communities, helping to extend the campaign's reach beyond the event itself.

The event also had a significant digital impact. Through content shared by NELCA, Touchy-Feely, creators and attendees, the campaign generated more than 627,000 views, reached almost 295,000 accounts, and received over 4,500 shares, helping to spark conversations about breast health across social media.

One of the strongest indicators of success was the level of community engagement. Although 512 people registered, more than 700 attended, with many staying longer than expected to speak with clinicians, take part in activities and even return later with friends and family after recommending the event.

Following the success of the event, NELCA and Touchy-Feely are exploring ways to build on this innovative partnership.

Plans include developing a dedicated The Girls' Bathroom webpage on the NELCA website, providing trusted breast health information, breast checking demonstrations, information on signs and symptoms, and links to local NHS support services. Content captured during the event will continue to be shared across digital channels to ensure the campaign remains a year-round source of information and awareness.

The long-term ambition is to establish The Girls' Bathroom as an annual flagship partnership during Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Month and expand the concept to include wider gynaecological cancer awareness, helping more communities access trusted health information in ways that are culturally relevant and engaging.