The Girls’ Bathroom is a first-of-its-kind immersive community activation in partnership with the NHS, designed to bridge the gap between culture and cancer.
The pop-up bathroom opens its doors on 18th July, 12-4 pm in Shoreditch. By bringing GPs to women instead of the other way around, women will be able to have conversations around cancer in a judgment-free, social environment where girls instinctively look after each other.
Rather than asking communities to come into clinical environments, The Girls’ Bathroom creates a safe, welcoming and judgement-free environment where women can have open conversations about breast health, cancer awareness, symptoms, healthcare access and early detection.
NHS North East London Cancer Alliance have joined with charity Touchy Feely to deliver the innovative project. A familiar bathroom layout has been intentionally reimagined to create an informative, comfortable, and inviting pop-up, in a bid to reach ethnic minority women, who are often underserved by traditional health campaigns, and to empower women who may otherwise feel ignored. It recreates the feeling of a women’s bathroom, creating a safe space for women to talk, connect, and come together.
Touchy Feely was developed to create safe, inclusive environments where women can share their health experiences and journeys and connect with others. Its founder, Nellie Gbadebo, discovered a lump in her breast during pregnancy, and her midwife reassured her it was likely a blocked milk duct, but during her third pregnancy, not long after, she found another lump, this time in her armpit. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told it had already spread to her lymph nodes. She now raises awareness of her experience to help others who are in similar situations.
Nellie explains,
“Thousands of women like me are dismissed every single day, and often diagnoses are delayed, because women aren’t listened to properly or they don’t feel comfortable pushing back when they’re not taken seriously. We also know that women from ethnic minorities are even more likely to be ignored. Coupled with that, there is very little representation of women from diverse backgrounds in health promotional materials. We want to change that with projects like the girls’ bathroom, bringing health information and education to more relaxed, approachable settings and helping women feel informed and confident to speak out.”
There will be informal drop-in conversations led by young cancer survivors, breast care professionals and trained facilitators. They will be talking about a range of breast health-related topics, including breast changes women often ignore, what happens when you get checked and how to advocate for yourself. There will also be optional breast awareness demonstrations using anatomical models, visual guides and one-to-one reassurance.
The bathroom also features a private space for questions, demos and conversations with health professionals. A ‘sink’ area also acts as a main floor area for facilitated conversations and panel talks. A photo feedback wall gives women the chance to post photos of themselves and share what they’d like to see more of. A checking pod has been created within the setting so people can ask health professionals questions and watch demos in a more private space.
A spokesperson for the North East London Cancer Alliance said,
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Touchy-Feely to raise awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. With the support of Touchy-Feely we are able to take trusted health information directly into our communities and hope to encourage more people to recognise the signs and symptoms, access support, and seek help early if they have any concerns.”
