UK. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has teamed up with The BooBee Campaign to highlight breast health awareness for women travelling through Greater Manchester airports.
The partnership promotes the Check In & Check Yourself initiative, encouraging women to carry out regular self-checks, especially during holidays, a time when they are more likely to focus on themselves.
The campaign shares real-life accounts from four women who noticed breast changes while on holiday, later confirmed as cancer.
To boost campaign visibility, posters will be placed in female toilets at Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports throughout the summer holidays, in addition to pop-up banners and digital displays in selected terminals.
The posters serve as a reminder for women to carry out self-checks and consult a doctor if they detect anything unusual.
BooBee Co-founder Margo Cornish MBE said: “Recent statistics tell us that breast cancer affects around one in seven women at some point in their lives, making early detection crucial. By encouraging women to be proactive about their breast health, we can improve prognosis and potentially save lives.”
Kath Pryer from Prestbury, Cheshire, is one of four women featured in the campaign. During a Caribbean holiday in January 2023, the 61-year-old noticed soreness and discomfort in her right breast while lying on her front.
Pryer said: “I don’t lie on my front very often, so initially I didn’t think anything of it, but a few days later I could feel it again. After the third time, I started to get more concerned, to the point where I was lying awake in bed one night – on my back this time – and that’s when I felt a lump.
“When I arrived back in the UK I went for a scan and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Straight away, I started a course of IV chemotherapy, followed by a lumpectomy and five sessions of radiotherapy. Later that same year, I got the all-clear.”
The shift in environment while on holiday made her aware that something was amiss. She added: “I don’t think I would have found it otherwise. It’s often said that breast cancer is painless, but that was not my experience, and it was the discomfort while lying on my front that led me to discover it.
“What I’d say to women travelling on their holidays this summer is – check thoroughly, check regularly and if you do find something you’re not happy with, don’t put it off, see somebody.”
Similar to Pryer’s experience, 43-year-old Laura Upton from Bolton was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump while on holiday in 2017.
Upton said: “I went to the doctor as soon as I arrived home, was sent for tests and my diagnosis followed around two weeks later. Breast cancer runs in my family but nevertheless, it was a bit of a shock. I had chemotherapy and surgery later that year and I’ve been in remission since.
“I would strongly encourage women travelling on their holidays this summer to Check In & Check Yourself. Catching it early is so important and could save your life.”
The BooBee Campaign supports Manchester-headquartered charity, Prevent Breast Cancer through fundraising efforts.
Prevent Breast Cancer Chief Executive Nikki Barraclough said: “At Prevent Breast Cancer, we’re dedicated to creating a future free from breast cancer through early detection, education, and research. Campaigns like ‘Check In & Check Yourself’ are so important – they help women pause, reflect, and take simple steps that could ultimately save their lives.
“Holidays offer a rare moment to slow down and reconnect with ourselves, and we want to use that moment to empower women to be breast aware – because early diagnosis and prevention starts with knowledge.”
MAG Reward and Wellbeing Manager Nicola Foster added: “We have been pleased to support the important work of the BooBee Campaign over many years now and this is a fantastic continuation of that.
“We know when people travel on holiday, their minds shift to things they might overlook during daily life. That is why we are pleased to find creative ways to remind women of the importance of being breast aware when they travel through our airports.” ✈
