A cup of pink chai is becoming a way to start conversations that too often go unspoken.
From Newcastle to Worthing, and now reaching communities overseas, Pink Chai, a community interest company, has spent recent months bringing people together to raise funds, challenge stigma and make it easier for women to talk about breast cancer.
At the heart of the organisation is a belief that every woman deserves access to breast health information and support, whatever her language, cultural background or postcode. Its work focuses particularly on reaching South Asian women, creating welcoming spaces where concerns can be shared and questions asked without embarrassment.
Chai provides a familiar starting point. By building awareness around the tradition of gathering over tea, Pink Chai aims to help women feel comfortable discussing a subject that fear and cultural stigma can make difficult to raise.
That approach has gathered momentum. According to the organisation, its recent campaign has organised around 100 community awareness events, reaching more than 7,000 people face-to-face. Alongside gatherings across the UK, the initiative has reached communities in Canada and in Dhaka and Sylhet, Bangladesh.
The events have secured £21,000 in fundraising pledges towards training Female Health Champions, extending the campaign’s impact beyond the gatherings themselves.
The planned programme will equip women with knowledge about breast cancer symptoms, early detection, screening and available support services. They will then share that information with relatives, friends and wider community networks, helping conversations continue through trusted relationships.
For Pink Chai, fundraising and awareness serve the same ambition: building a lasting network of women who can help others feel informed, supported and able to seek advice.
Chief executive Muzahid Khan MBE DL said he was delighted by the response and the speed at which the initiative had grown.
“We’ve surpassed ourselves with the numbers this year, and it’s been particularly encouraging how many women have come forward to host an event and get the conversation started,” he said.
“We are especially grateful to Regal Food PLC in Bradford, who generously donated their delicious Kashmiri Pink Chai, which helped with fundraising and raising awareness of breast cancer.”
The willingness of women to host events has been an important part of the campaign’s growth, taking breast health discussions into familiar community settings.
Feedback described by Pink Chai suggests participants valued its friendly, culturally sensitive approach and the opportunity to ask questions without embarrassment. Others expressed interest in becoming Health Champions so they could share useful knowledge with mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.
A network of 40 volunteers, five ambassadors and five board members has supported the campaign, contributing time and skills to help it reach more communities.
The next phase will focus on developing the Female Health Champions programme, strengthening partnerships with healthcare professionals and expanding awareness activities across the UK and internationally.
As Pink Chai’s reach grows, its purpose remains rooted in a simple act: bringing people together. Each gathering offers an opportunity to raise funds, share information and make a difficult conversation easier to begin.
Find out more at pinkchai.org.
