October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Pink October. This annual campaign raises awareness of breast cancer and highlights the importance of spotting it early.
Charities, councils, businesses, sports clubs and healthcare organisations use Pink October to organise events that raise awareness in their communities, raise funds and support the organisations fighting the disease.
Looking for a Pink October activity to include in your next event? Here are 10 ideas you can adapt to your audience, your venue and your budget.
Summary
1. Create a wall of messages and support
Set up a large board where everyone can leave a message, a personal story, a drawing, or a few words for people affected by cancer or for the healthcare staff who support them.
A few cards, some felt-tip pens and a clearly visible spot may be all you need. You could also invite attendees to hang their messages with a pink ribbon, gradually building a collective installation in Pink October colours.
Give attendees a simple prompt to guide them: “A word of support”, “Someone you’re thinking of” or “A reason to get involved”. This fun activity lets people show their solidarity while encouraging conversation between attendees.
At the end of the event, take a photo of the wall to keep a record of everyone’s support and share it on your social media.
2. Set up a Pink October photo booth
A pink backdrop, a few props and good lighting may be all it takes to create this activity!
Add the name of your event, its hashtag or that of the charity you’re supporting so the photos can easily be shared on social media. You can also invite attendees to wear something pink or use one of the props provided.
Go a step further and give the photo booth a charitable angle: set up an online registration system to collect donations for the charity your campaign supports.
This Pink October activity works particularly well at a sports event or a workplace event, where it can help rally your teams around a shared cause while bringing colleagues closer together.
3. Run a pink ribbon craft workshop
Pink October’s iconic ribbon can be the starting point for a workshop that’s open to everyone: making bracelets, brooches, badges or personalised tote bags.
There’s no need to plan a two-hour workshop. Go for something people can finish in a few minutes and take home with them. Every attendee then leaves with a pink keepsake that keeps the message alive after the event.
It’s a simple way to raise awareness of the cause and make a lasting impression. You could also suggest a small, symbolic donation in exchange for each creation by setting up a donation collection, a feature available when you set up your WeezTicket online registration.
4. Host an awareness quiz
True or false, multiple choice, common myths… turn awareness-raising into a short activity that attendees can take part in alone or in teams.
For example, prepare around ten questions on breast cancer, the signs to look out for, NHS breast screening and the most common misconceptions. For medical content, rely on trusted sources such as the NHS or Breast Cancer Now, or have your questions checked by a healthcare professional or a specialist charity.
The quiz can be run on stage, from a smartphone or directly at a stand. Plan an explanation after each answer: the main goal is to raise awareness and help participants learn something useful.
You can finish with a few resources explaining where to find information and how breast screening works. It’s a more interactive way to highlight the importance of spotting breast cancer early without turning your event into a lecture.
Want to run several quiz sessions? With WeezTicket, our online registration solution, you can offer participants different time slots on the same day or across several days! Find out how to easily set up this feature here!
5. Spin a wheel of charity challenges
Set up a wheel that each attendee can spin to reveal a small action to complete.
The challenges can be very simple:
- take a photo with a pink prop
- answer an awareness question
- leave a message on your wall
- do 20 seconds of physical activity
- make a donation
- share a piece of information about Pink October
Tailor the challenges to the Pink October theme and to your audience. This works particularly well in a space where people move around freely, as anyone can join in very quickly.
You could also offer a small token gift to attendees who complete their challenge: a badge, bracelet, sticker or ribbon. The aim isn’t the reward, but to make this awareness campaign more interactive.
6. Display a live donation tracker
If your event is raising funds, make the progress visible.
Put up a screen, a board or a physical gauge showing the amount raised and the target to reach: for example, £2,000, £5,000 or £10,000 before the end of the event.
Watching the total climb can encourage attendees to contribute and give your fundraising a collective feel. You can also announce each milestone as it’s reached.
Above all, explain clearly who the funds will go to: a local charity, Breast Cancer Now, Cancer Research UK or another organisation involved in supporting patients or funding cancer research.
If fundraising is at the heart of your campaign, take a look at our guide to organising a charity event.
7. Create a collective sports challenge
You don’t need to organise a full running race to bring sport into your event.
For example, set up an exercise bike, a rowing machine or a treadmill and give attendees a sports challenge to complete together: cover 100 km, cycle for a combined total of 2 hours, or reach a set number of kilometres before the event closes.
Each person contributes a few minutes before handing over to the next. Display the progress to turn the activity into a real team challenge.
Planning a bigger sports event, such as a fun run or a charity walk? Find out how WeezTicket can help with sporting events.
8. Hold a charity raffle
A raffle is an easy activity to fit into a day and helps support your cause.
Get in touch with local shops, businesses or partners and ask them to donate a few prizes: a meal, an activity, a handmade product, a fitness session or an experience.
Attendees then buy one or more tickets, and all or part of the proceeds can go to an organisation that supports people with cancer or funds research.
Announce the time of the draw as soon as attendees arrive and save the top prize until last. In the UK, small raffles held as part of an event don’t usually need a licence, but there are rules to follow, so check the Gambling Commission’s guidance before you start.
9. Set up an awareness area
A stand with nothing but leaflets risks going unnoticed. Instead, make it a space where attendees can get involved.
You could invite a charity or a healthcare professional and offer several mini-formats:
- “true or false” cards to turn over
- anonymous questions dropped into a box
- short discussion sessions
- materials explaining how NHS breast screening works
- personal stories or resources for patients and their loved ones
These awareness sessions are a way to talk about breast cancer and remind people why screening and checking your breasts matter, without imposing a long talk.
10. Launch a collective “Everyone in Pink” challenge
Ask all your attendees to meet at a specific time and invite them to wear a pink item of clothing or accessory for a big group photo.
You can announce the challenge when people register and then send several reminders during the event. The moment becomes a common thread that brings every audience together around a single action.
Make organising your Pink October event easier with WeezTicket
Between registrations for a charity walk, bookings for different workshops, collecting donations and welcoming attendees on the day, managing registrations can quickly become time-consuming.
Setting up an online ticketing system lets you centralise your attendees’ information and track registrations from a single tool, whether your event is free or paid.
WeezTicket offers several useful features for charities, businesses, councils and other organisers taking part in Pink October:
- Free ticketing for free events: organising a walk, an awareness workshop or an open day? Manage registrations for your event free of charge and get a clearer idea of how many people to expect.
- Online donation collection: give attendees the option of adding a donation when they register, to support the charity benefiting from your event.
- Capacity and time slot management: running several workshops, talks or activities throughout the day? Create different time slots and cap the number of places for each one to spread attendees out more evenly.
- Custom registration forms: collect only the information you need from attendees with custom fields tailored to your event.
- Custom event mini-site: create a page bringing together your programme, visuals, practical information, event description and ticketing, then simply share the link in your communications.
- WeezAccess app: on the day, your teams can scan tickets straight from a smartphone with our access control app and check attendees in without paper lists.
“We regularly support charities organising Pink October events, particularly walks and runs that can bring together lots of participants in a fairly short space of time. In that context, one of the challenges is knowing how many people to expect and managing their arrival without unnecessary queues.
“For this kind of event, having a ticketing system lets the organiser anticipate participant numbers and the equipment they’ll need as a result, such as bibs. Last October, we helped a Pink October event organiser: adding a registration form to their ticketing quickly allowed them to adapt the route of their fun run to the overall fitness level of their participants. Without it, they might have planned a course that was too hard for the people actually interested in the event.” Clément, Customer Service at Weezevent
Key reminders about breast screening
Above all, Pink October is the time to remind everyone why screening and getting to know your breasts matter. The guidance below is for the NHS in England.
From 50 to 71: a mammogram every 3 years
Everyone registered with a GP as female is invited for their first NHS breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53, then every 3 years until their 71st birthday. Screening is free. If you’re 71 or over, you won’t be invited automatically, but you can still ask your local breast screening service for an appointment every 3 years.
At any age: get to know your breasts
Check your breasts regularly so you know what’s normal for you. Look out for a new lump or thickening, a change in size or shape, dimpling or redness of the skin, changes to the nipple (such as discharge, a rash or it turning inwards), or a lump or swelling in your armpit. Men can get breast cancer too, so the same advice applies.
Noticed a change? Don’t wait
If you notice anything unusual, see your GP promptly, even if you’ve recently had a screening. Don’t wait for your next appointment.
Trans and non-binary people may also be eligible for screening depending on how they’re registered with their GP and their medical history. Your GP surgery can advise.
For Pink October, every activity can become an opportunity to get a message across. The key is to choose activities that really suit your audience: some will raise awareness, others will raise funds, or simply create a moment of solidarity in the fight against breast cancer.
A photo booth, a group challenge or a workshop can therefore fit into very different kinds of events. It’s up to you to build your programme around your budget, the time available and the cause you want to support, without trying to pack in as many activities as possible.
And so you can focus on your event, we’ll help you manage your attendees with our online registration solution to centralise attendee information, and our access control solution to make check-in smoother on the day.
FAQ
Q: What is Pink October?
Pink October is another name for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every October. Throughout the month, charities, businesses, clubs and communities organise events to raise awareness of breast cancer, encourage people to check their breasts and attend screening, and raise money for support services and research.
Q: Which charity should our Pink October event support?
You can support a national charity such as Breast Cancer Now or Cancer Research UK, or a local organisation such as a hospital charity or a support group. Before you start, check that the organisation is a registered charity (you can search the Charity Commission register) and contact them: many provide fundraising packs, branding guidelines and awareness materials.
Q: Should a Pink October event be free or paid?
It depends on your goals. A free event makes it easier to reach as many people as possible, which suits awareness-raising. A paid event, or one with a suggested donation, helps you raise more money. You can also combine the two: free entry with the option of adding a donation when people register.
Q: How can we collect donations at our event?
The easiest way is to let attendees add a donation when they register online, so the money is collected before the event even starts. On the day, you can add fundraising activities such as a raffle, a sponsored challenge or a pay-what-you-like craft workshop. Whatever you choose, be clear about which charity will receive the money and share the final total afterwards.
Q: How can we share health information responsibly?
Stick to trusted sources such as the NHS or recognised cancer charities, and avoid giving personal medical advice. Ideally, invite a charity or a healthcare professional to run your awareness stand or check your quiz questions. Always encourage people with concerns to speak to their GP.
Q: How can we speed up entry at a charity walk or run with hundreds of participants?
For busy events, spread several volunteers across access control and equip them with a smartphone scanning tool. Tickets can then be checked simultaneously, with no paper lists or manual checks of each registration. If a ticket has already been used or is invalid, the team is alerted instantly and can keep the queue moving.
Q: How can we get colleagues involved in a Pink October event at work?
Choose short activities that fit around the working day, such as a photo booth at lunchtime, a step or cycling challenge between teams, a quiz or an “Everyone in Pink” day. Setting a team fundraising target and displaying the progress also helps keep everyone motivated throughout October.
Q: Which tools are really useful for a charity team managing registrations?
An online ticketing system such as WeezTicket lets you centralise registrations, sales and revenue tracking. Access control from a smartphone then makes welcoming people on the day easier, while real-time statistics let you track how registrations are going. For a charity team, the main benefit is avoiding parallel spreadsheets and re-entering data, so you can spend more time on the content and the experience you offer.
