Waiting at the station to collect someone you’ve never met before can sometimes be tricky.Your cue is to look for the person who seems to be looking for you. Meeting Lisa Allen from the Pink Ribbon Foundation requires no such ambiguity - there she is, a bright beacon against the Monday morning mizzle. Her standout coat, (which of course we subsequently discuss at length) and her signature pink hair oozing the brand at every step. I can tell I’m in for a treat and I’m not proven wrong. 

It’s immediately clear upon sitting down with Lisa that she is her brand. Partly due to her longevity with the charity, having joined at the outset almost 25 years ago, but mainly due to her obvious unending passion for the fight against breast cancer. The roots of the Pink Ribbon Foundation are interesting, born out of a corporate charity publishing spin off. Lisa was there at the start. Her retail sales background combined with her magnetic personality that spills out positivity for all to share, immediately puts her in good stead for raising much needed funds.

A ‘hard worker’ must be the understatement of the year. As a small, fully remote charity, Lisa works alongside just 3 other people - all volunteer trustees. It’s an all hands on deck type of affair, “I work across all areas, which is good for me because I’m a bit of a control freak!” As a grant giving charity there’s a number crunching side to the organisation - sorting through the hundreds of applications they receive each year and allocating the resources accordingly (this seems to be the only bit that Lisa would rather leave to the others)! The grants are made possible through corporate partnerships (of which Kate Barton is one) and through on the ground fundraising efforts from individuals. 

Pink Ribbon Foundation events are clearly a passion area for Lisa and I ask about the annual calendar. “At the beginning of the year we can be looking at an almost empty diary. The opportunities arise as we move through the months. People come to us, we go to them. It just sort of happens, and evolves and moves in new directions every year.” This fluidity and nimbleness of the charity is what strikes me as being so powerful. Lisa sees an opportunity and seizes it.  You get the feeling that stuff happens under her watch. When the stakes are so high - 55,000 women in the UK and around 400 men get breast cancer every year - perhaps it’s no surprise that the drive is strong.  

Supporting so many small organisations and initiatives every year, I ask Lisa if there’s a collaboration that she is particularly proud of. There is zero hesitation in her reply, “No question, it has to be our Bold project. I spend a lot of my time making a difference, but this was the first time I was directly involved in actually feeling the difference.” The Bold project is a perfect example of Lisa and her ability to make things happen. “It might take me a little while to get the funding or the support, but if I set my mind to something, it will happen”, and she’s right, it did. 

A chance meeting with talented photographer Caroline Sikkenk at an exhibition in Tenerife, introduced Lisa to a project focused on photographing women with hair loss. The initial idea was born when Caroline’s sister was working at the family wig shop. A lady came in for advice - she sat down and looked in the mirror and immediately burst into tears, completely unable to see anything positive. “She felt ugly and yet Caroline’s sister saw something different.  Stunning features, bright eyes, clear skin. She took this story to her photographer sister and told her she needed to do something to help women see their beauty at a very difficult time.” This was the exhibition where Lisa met Caroline. She immediately knew she wanted to bring the idea to the UK; 18 months later and the Bold Project was born in England or on these shores - as the idea was already 'born'.

It started in September of last year, when 13 women, all experiencing hair loss due to breast cancer treatment, were photographed in London. Gaining traction on World Cancer Day this February, the project was projected on the big screen in both Piccadilly Circus and Times Square in New York. A 2 week London based exhibition followed and the photographs have recently been incorporated into a large table top book featuring 100 women from Europe and the US. With the book launch imminent, this appears to be just the start for Lisa. “I want to take this places.  Scotland is next on the list and then who knows? It’s very easily replicated and has been one of the most emotional, rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on.  I’ve never cried at an event, but at last year’s Pink Gala, we invited our 13 women to join us and unprompted they got up on the dance floor, thew off their wigs and head scarves and danced freely to Kerry Ellis singing ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman. I’ve never been so moved in my life.” It’s moving just hearing Lisa speak so passionately about this incredible project and even more so to learn that one of the 13 UK women, Sally, sadly passed away earlier this year after her 10 year fight. It is both devastatingly sad and empowering at the same time and can only serve as greater impetus to continue on this incredible journey in support of the cause.  

I wonder how Lisa switches off from the intensity of her day to day, but it’s clear that she doesn’t.  She is her brand - there’s no separation between work and life and perhaps she doesn’t feel the need to. She tells the story of a weekend trip to the theatre with her daughter a few years ago. Katya and Neil Jones were in the performance and despite the pouring rain, Lisa saw the opportunity and cornered Katya at the stage door. Fast forward a few months and Katya was fronting a charity bikini campaign and then took part in their charity netball match. It’s confirmed - Lisa has no off button. 

We could have talked all day but I felt that now was a good time to ask Lisa for her advice for our Kate Barton community. Her message is clear. “Check yourself every month and know your norm. If you have scan appointments, go to them. If you haven’t been contacted and you’re 50, call and get an appointment. If you can’t get an appointment, find a mobile screening unit and walk in and ask for a scan. And if you have any doubts or concerns, go and get checked out.” Her second bit of advice is for carers or those who have a friend or family member with a diagnosis. “Be present. People say that you find out who your friends are during this time. Offer practical help - pick up the kids, drive to an appointment, do a shop. Don’t be upset if you don’t get a reply, but be there - always.”

As we close, I suddenly realise that we haven’t really spoken about Lisa’s incredible hair. “I dyed it for an event and quickly realised it became a real conversation starter, an asset. I can go into M&S and end up chatting about the charity all because of the hair.” Clearly the asset here isn’t just the hair, it’s the whole package. Lisa is a true testament to the brand, the wider cause and an absolute star in the breast cancer community. What a treat to have met her.  

More info can be found at www.pinkribbonfoundation.org.uk. There's still time to show your support by purchasing any of our red and pink striped accessories - £5 from each sale will be donated to the Pink Ribbon Foundation. Please help make a difference.