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Creating a Legacy: tombola X Breast Cancer Now

Aug 07, 2025

The partnership between tombola and Breast Cancer Now (BCN) is a significant new partnership. The collaboration has led to the creation of an innovative tool designed to educate and engage users about breast cancer symptoms and the importance of regular self-checks.

Breast Check Now

Breast Check Now is an easy-to-use tool, that takes around one minute to complete and features a reminder to encourage regular breast checks - a habit that could save your life.

It is designed to be both informative and engaging, ensuring that users not only learn about the symptoms but also find the process of checking is not a chore! The tool includes a series of questions that help users understand the importance of regular self-examinations. The goal is to create a legacy that continues to educate and after the partnership ends.

The Importance of the Project

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women under 50. This makes self-checking incredibly important. Through preparing for this project, we discovered that 50% of tombola's players have been affected by breast cancer, either personally or through friends and family. This statistic affirmed the need for a tool that could educate and empower users to take control of their health.

From the very start, we knew we were building something that could make a genuine difference. I’m incredibly proud not only of the final product but also of the amazing colleagues I worked alongside to bring it to life. Everyone came together with such passion and commitment, and I think that shows in the result. Projects like this remind me why I love working at tombola - we have the ability to create things that genuinely make a difference, not just for our players but for the wider community too.

Ben Dixon, tombola Game Studio

Bringing the Idea to Life

The creation of the Breast Check Now was a collaborative effort that involved a lot of planning, clear objectives, and seamless teamwork. Here’s how it all came together:

Clear Objectives and Strategy

The first step was to establish a clear objective. With various ideas floating around, it was crucial to focus on what the audience needed. The tool had to be quick, easy, and engaging, with a clear reason for users to participate and share.

Collaborative Effort

The project was a testament to the power of collaboration under the leadership of Tammy Parker. Key players like Ben Dixon from the game studio, Pete Kingston and his design team, Catherine Riley as the project manager, and Dan Cogging who handled data protection, all played pivotal roles. Their combined efforts ensured that the project stayed on track and met all necessary guidelines.

Partnership with Breast Cancer Now

Working closely with BCN was essential to get the tone and content right. The aim was to create a tool that was fun yet sensitive, empowering yet informative. BCN’s extensive research and branding guidelines were instrumental in shaping the final product.

Engagement and Education

The tool was designed to be more than just educational. It had to be engaging to ensure users would want to use it and share it. The phrase "checking isn’t a chore" encapsulated this approach, making the tool a fun and valuable resource.

It’s been an honour to be part of a project with such an important purpose. At tombola, we’re used to designing engaging experiences for our players, but being able to apply that same thinking to support such an important cause has been hugely rewarding. I’m proud of the work our design team delivered and equally proud of the collaboration between tombola and BCN that made it possible. It’s been a real team effort from start to finish.

Pete Kingston, tombola Design Team

Going Bigger: A Campaign with Purpose

This project is part of something much bigger. tombola and Breast Cancer Now have launched the ‘Eyes Down, Check Up’ campaign with two major goals:

To encourage one million people to regularly check their breasts
To raise up to £1 million for Breast Cancer Now over the next 12 months

tombola has already made a £250,000 initial donation to kick off the campaign, and we’ll be raising more through a range of exciting fundraising events – including five ‘Bingo Against Breast Cancer’ live games, each featuring a £50,000 jackpot and a minimum £50,000 donation per game to BCN.

Shoutouts to the Team

This project would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of several key individuals:

Tammy Parker: Who led the team, and facilitated collaboration between Breast Cancer Now and the game studio by defining a clear objective, creating a space for open dialogue, and removing any blockers to progress.
Ben Dixon: From the game studio, Ben single-handedly drove the project forward, overcoming any blockers and challenges that arose.
Pete Kingston and Team: Pete and his design team made the tool visually stunning, adhering to BCN’s brand guidelines while enhancing the overall quality.
Ollie Bell: Who was instrumental in setting up the initial partnership and bringing the two teams together with this idea.
Kathryn Riley: As the project manager, Catherine ensured that everything stayed on track, from meeting launch dates to securing necessary approvals.
Dan Coggin: Dan managed the working group sessions and ensured that all data protection rules were clear and adhered to.
Kirsty Chandler and Jess Armitage: Leading the communications from BCN’s side, Kirsty and Jess ensured seamless collaboration and regular communication.