LKQ and A1 ADAS Lead Aftermarket Support for Great Wall of China Charity Trek

Some of the biggest names in the automotive aftermarket have thrown their support behind a Great Wall of China charity trek that aims to raise breast cancer awareness and encourage more people to regularly check their chests to recognise signs of the disease in its early stages.

LKQ has been confirmed as the main corporate sponsor, with branding on the front of the challenge T-shirts and backpacks. A1 ADAS Group will feature on the caps and back of the T-shirts, while Osram, Ring Automotive and Schaeffler are sleeve sponsors.

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) and NRF have each taken sponsored flag opportunities, adding further industry support to the gruelling five-day challenge. Global chocolate suppliers Irca Group and Dobla are also backing the campaign, while Greggs has match-funded a £1,500 donation.

The sponsorship announcement comes as Jane Wright, founder of automotive PR and Comms specialists The Wright Consultancy, and friend Jo Elsdon double their fundraising target to £16,000 following growing support for the campaign. The ambitious target is timely as news headlines highlight that the NHS criteria for breast cancer screening for women under 50 are too narrow and miss up to 95 percent of those at higher risk of developing the disease.

Researchers have found that almost three-quarters of women under 50 who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Under the current NHS referral criteria, just 4.4 percent of those who go on to develop breast cancer would be identified. The findings reinforce the importance of regular chest checking and underscore that self-advocacy for adults under 50 is crucial for early diagnosis. 

The campaign, affectionately named Boobs, Boots and a Bloody Big Wall, is being undertaken in aid of CoppaFeel! The pair became supporters of the charity after Jo was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer when she discovered a lump during her routine ‘feel them on the first’ check, just six weeks before her 50th birthday. Following chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she is now cancer free.

Jane and Jo launched the campaign in February on World Cancer Day with an initial fundraising target of £8,000. They fly to China in three weeks ahead of the five-day trek, which begins on 7 September across five of the most challenging sections of the Great Wall. 

Jane Wright said: "The latest research makes the reason for this challenge impossible to ignore. Almost three-quarters of women under 50 diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Jo found her cancer because she checked herself, recognised something had changed and got it investigated. That early self-detection likely saved her life.

"We've doubled our fundraising target because the work Coppafeel! does really matters. However, the fundraising has always been the means to an end. The real goal is getting people to check their chests regularly.

"To have businesses such as LKQ, A1 ADAS Group, Osram, Ring Automotive, Schaeffler, the IAAF, NRF, Irca Group, Dobla and Greggs backing the campaign gives us an incredible opportunity to spread that message much further.”

Louise Davies, Head of Concepts, LKQ UK and Ireland, said: "Breast cancer has affected people close to many of us at LKQ over the years, so backing CoppaFeel!’s mission to get people checking themselves early felt like an easy decision. Jane and Jo’s Great Wall challenge is a brilliant way to get that message out there, and we’re proud to have the LKQ name on their kit!"

Jane concluded: “If nothing else comes from Boobs, Boots and a Bloody Big Wall, we want everyone – women and men, young and old – to check their chests every month. Around 420 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. This message really is for everyone.”

CoppaFeel! works to ensure breast cancers are diagnosed early by encouraging everyone, regardless of age or gender, to know what is normal for them, check their chests regularly and seek medical advice if they notice a change. Learn how to check your chest properly at https://coppafeel.org/.

To find and support Boobs, Boots and a Bloody Big Wall, go to  https://www.justgiving.com/team/boobsbootsbigwallchallenge.