I got the opportunity to volunteer once again at Breast Cancer Now’s ‘The Show 2026.’ It’s a fashion show like no other with all of the models either living with, or beyond, Breast Cancer.
Photo credit: Breast Cancer Now.
Alt Text: Four diverse people, wearing pink & white t-shirts with ‘Breast Cancer Now’ printed upon them, sit behind two tables joined together. The table is covered in a blue cloth & there are lists of names printed onto paper, & pens on the table. Behind them are grand oil paintings in gold frames, a mirror with a gilded frame, statues & a row of bench seating in dark wood. Everyone is smiling in the photo.
Breast Cancer Now’s ‘The Show’ is such a wonderful, hopeful, uplifting, life-affirming, beautiful event that I can’t resist coming back year to volunteer. Some of you might remember that I was a model in their 2023 show & it was the first time that they’d ever had a wheelchair user in it. I was so grateful for the opportunity – I’ve always wanted to be a model – & ever since taking part, I’ve ‘given back’ by volunteering on the show’s registration desk alongside my partner Stephane. We’ve also volunteered to work on the registration desk for their ‘Pink Ribbon Ball.’
There’s not many other roles that I can do as I don’t have enough strength to run around doing physical stuff, but after running many of my own events, & Stephane with his club promoting experience, we definitely know how to run a guest list! And the Breast Cancer Now staff look forward to seeing us every year, which is so lovely. We feel very loved by this charity.
So what’s the secret of running an efficient guest list? One – have plenty of people doing it (as you can see, we were a team of four plus three volunteers managing the queues & a Breast Cancer Now staff member there to greet any influencers or donors), backed up by people outside managing the queues. Two – make sure you have a pen to tick people off if you’re using paper sheets. Three – & this one I borrowed from Stephane – if you print out lots of guest lists stapled together, then you can open several sheets of paper at once on different letters of the alphabet, then you can find people much quicker. Four – call for people to come to your desk because many guests can’t see that there are several people taking names. Five – ask people to find themselves on the list if you have trouble hearing people say their names. And lastly – don’t panic, you’re in a team, working together.
The registration desk is always busy at ‘The Show.’ I love seeing all the guests come in – they’re so excited about seeing their family member or friend taking part. There’s also lots of lovely kids! The models from last year’s show are invited back to watch it, so it’s always good to reconnect with them. And the models from 2023 pop up from time to time across the years so it means after the event, we can have a really good catch-up! The team gets to work straight away, ticking off their names, as we know that they want to get in quickly to get a good seat. Guests usually arrive ‘en masse’ so the first 20 minutes we’re hectic. With around 10 minutes to go until the event starts, that’s when it gets much quieter.
At 3pm, some of the team went up to watch ‘The Show’ as they’d never seen it. Stephane and I waited behind to make sure that we helped any late-comers. We gave it 20 minutes to see if anyone else arrived & then we headed up to watch too. However, like last year, Stephane got word from the security that there were still people arriving, so he had to go downstairs a couple more times to check them in. Next year we’ve said that we’ll stay on the registration desk the whole time!
I also met with one of the designers, Deby from ‘We Are Curves.’ She had a very special outfit to give me which she made for me. It’s gorgeous!
Stephane & I also like meeting all of the volunteers. They’re always very friendly & welcoming. Many of them have had a cancer experience themselves & some were past Show models. We have a room to ourselves which is like ‘Mission Control.’ There’s branded t-shirts & little ‘bum’ bags for us to wear in case guests want to donate. The teas, coffees & water flow & there’s always plenty of chocolate & crisps to keep us all going. We all gather in this room before the event starts & it’s a nice way of settling into the day. There’s always someone to talk to. The photography & film crews use this room too so there’s lots of interesting camera equipment & laptops. It’s a hive of positive activity.
All the volunteers get a briefing about a couple of hours before ‘The Show’ starts. Then we do a ‘site visit’ which is essentially a ‘walk & talk’ through the venue. It was the first time that Mansion House had been used so it was great getting to know its layout. By 2pm we’re all in our various positions, poised for the doors opening to the public at 2.30pm.
‘The Show’ was amazing! I loved Mansion House lit up in pink, it looked beautiful. And it goes without saying that the models were on fire! They own that runway! The venue’s atmosphere was electric – everyone was clapping & dancing the whole way through. I love seeing & hearing the reaction of family & friends when the models come out. And there are always lots of tears because it is very, very emotional. I shed a tear or two, thinking about how much ‘The Show’ means to me, & thinking of Mary & Kam who were in 2023’s event with me, but now they’ve passed. I thought about my sister, my brother & Stephane in floods of tears at the evening show, watching me. And my friends who came to the afternoon’s show & how were blown away by it.
Part of ‘The Show’ is always dedicated to explaining what Breast Cancer patients face & how Breast Cancer Now is there to support people going through this devastating illness. Breast Cancer Now’s current strategy focuses on metastatic (or secondary) cancer; not only to support research to find a cure, but also to help people understand the signs of any spread. For clarity, metastatic cancer is when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body & / or organs. This is incurable. Breast Cancer can return in 25% of people who were originally diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Sometimes it can recur within 5 years, or 10 years, but also 20 or 30 years later (for example, I had ER positive breast cancer and this is the one most likely to reoccur decades on. Again, no one knows (yet!) why this happens).
But as quickly as ‘The Show’ started, it was time for presented Lisa Snowdon to bring the event to the room. But the energy in the room remained as the models were reunited with their friends and family. There were many selfie poses happening! I take the opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues – I always go straight to Rebekah Roy who is the stylist on ‘The Show.’ She’s such a star!
Photo credit: Suzanne Bull
Alt Text: A large event space which has stone white pillars & a gilded ceiling. There is a white catwalk, running through the middle of the hall. Each side of the runway are transparent, plastic chairs. There are several large tv screens that are showing information about ‘The Show.’ At the far end of the runway, there is a crowd of people, dressed in their best clothes, talking. This area is lit up in the branded pink to match the ‘step & repeat’ walls.
The last photo is of Stephane & I, taken at the afternoon tea party which happens after the first show (the models get to strut the runway once more in the evening). Thank you to Alainah & Anna at Breast Cancer Now for looking after us both! See you next year!
Photo credit: Suzanne Bull
Alt Text: a white-skinned man & woman in front of a wall that’s lit up in pink, white & purple. Text on the wall in pink says ‘The Show,’ Breast Cancer Now and Asda Tickled Pink. The carpet is pink with a pink, purple & white geometric design. Both people are wearing glasses & branded pink t-shirts which have a white square on the front of them. The text written in pink within the white square says ‘Breast Cancer Now.’ The woman is sitting in a manual wheelchair & the man is crouching beside her. The woman carries a taupe-coloured bag with a pink, leopard print strap draped across her front.
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