CoppaFeel! is the UK’s only youth breast cancer charity. Their mission is simple — to make sure every young person knows their body, feels represented, and understands that breast cancer can affect anyone.
To reach more young people and better reflect the UK’s diversity, CoppaFeel! launched their first-ever Youth Network. They partnered with us, Participation People, to recruit, train and support a national group of young ambassadors aged 16–24.
The goal was to create a network that could tackle stigma, open up conversations about breast health, and make awareness campaigns more inclusive — especially for minority, male, and faith-based communities.
The Challenge
CoppaFeel! wanted to strengthen their connection with young audiences and make sure their campaigns spoke to all young people.
To do this, they needed a Youth Network that:
Reflected the diversity of the UK’s youth population
Gave young people genuine opportunities to shape how messages are shared
- Empowered ambassadors to lead conversations around breast health in their own communities
Created an accessible, welcoming space for everyone involved.
They needed expert support to recruit, onboard, and train young people from diverse and underrepresented groups — ensuring accessibility and inclusion from day one.
Our Approach
Participation People designed and delivered a three-month recruitment and onboarding programme built around inclusion and youth voice.
We focused on:
Outreach and recruitment through schools, youth organisations, faith groups, and online communities
Accessible onboarding, offering flexible communication and consent processes
Youth-led design, ensuring all materials, images, and sessions represented real young people and their lived experiences.
Every stage, from the first callout to training, was designed to make sure the young ambassadors felt supported, informed, and empowered.
Who Joined the Youth Network?
A total of 87 young people joined the CoppaFeel! Youth Network, with 60% from underrepresented backgrounds.
Key demographics:
Ethnicity: 32% Asian, 30% Black, 23% White, 13% Mixed/Other
Gender: 79% Female, 17% Male, 4% Trans or Non-binary
Location: From London, Leicester, and Glasgow to Belfast, Dorchester, and the Lake District
Accessibility: 13% identified as disabled or neurodivergent
Importantly, one in four participants were new to CoppaFeel!, helping the charity reach fresh audiences.
“I’m really excited to be part of CoppaFeel’s youth network as it is a great opportunity for me to share my voice and insight as a young person as well as being able to feed back into a cause that I care about. Im looking forward to making a difference in a health organisation ”
— Youth Ambassador, CoppaFeel! Network
What Motivated Young People to Join
Many ambassadors joined because they wanted to make change in their own communities. Their motivations included:
Challenging cultural taboos around breast health.
Encouraging young men and faith-based groups to get involved.
Using social media and storytelling to raise awareness.
These insights shaped new opportunities for the network, including:
Cultural ambassador roles within local communities.
Youth-led campaigns and digital content.
Peer-to-peer education in schools and youth spaces.
Impact
The CoppaFeel! Youth Network has created a new wave of young advocates for breast health. And, created a legacy to serve the future generations for years to come.
Key outcomes:
87 ambassadors recruited across the UK.
60% from underrepresented backgrounds.
23 new supporters introduced to CoppaFeel!.
Majority under 18 — the next generation of health campaigners.
These young people are now sharing their stories, raising awareness, and helping CoppaFeel! reach communities that were previously underrepresented.
Lessons Learned
Representation matters: When young people see themselves reflected, they’re more likely to engage.
Lived experience fuels passion: Many joined because of personal or family experiences with health inequality.
Youth want real influence: They’re eager to lead campaigns, not just participate.
Accessibility is essential: Building inclusion from the start helps everyone thrive.
Conclusion
Through this partnership, CoppaFeel! and Participation People have built a national network of young ambassadors driving change in how breast cancer awareness reaches their generation.
The project shows how youth engagement, diversity, and inclusion can create lasting impact — giving young people the tools and confidence to lead life-saving conversations.
If you need help creating, or structuring, your own youth network, book your discovery call now
