A small business owner is on a mission to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer while raising money for a local charity she lent on after her own diagnosis.

Lancaster-based Katy Davies founded Ecojiko while she was under-going treatment for breast cancer in 2022. Ecojiko sells a range of fun, sustainable and reusable gifts and home essentials that prioritise the planet but don’t compromise on performance.

Recently, Ecojiko has launched a new range of fun products with a breast cancer awareness theme. Part of the profits from the sales will be donated to CancerCare.

Katy accessed CancerCare’s nutritional, reflexology and massage therapy services after she received the devastating news that she had stage-two breast cancer in November 2021.

“My tumour was very aggressive and I was told that it was just half a mm away from spreading to other part of my body,” Katy said. “If I hadn’t gone to the doctors at that time, I could be telling a very different story. I feel very lucky that I found the cancer when I did and that I’ve now made a full recovery. The launch of these products is in line with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. I feel I have a duty to push the message that early detection really does save lives. If we can help just one woman through this campaign, then we’ve done our job.”

The concept of Ecojiko was borne out of Katy’s dislike for plastic waste and she founded it as a side business just before her diagnosis, eventually taking her vision full time. During her treatment, Ecojiko provided her with a much-needed focus away from her illness.

Ecojiko is currently stocked in over 250 independent shops and in 140 Oxfam stores nationwide.

Included in the ‘Boob’ Breast Cancer Awareness range are pot scrubbers, dish brushes and dish cloths.

“These products are fun and quirky, but they’re also of such a high quality and are very useful,” Katy continued. “While we’re pushing sales during Breast Cancer Awareness month, they’ll be available to purchase all year round, from our website and in stores. My aim is that by having an item by the sink, women will be provided with a regular reminder to check themselves and keep an eye out for any changes. It also feels great to be able to give something back to CancerCare.”

Due to the growth of Ecojiko, Katy is also part of the Buy Women Built network, an initiative that shines a light on female-founded brands. She has pulled together 15 brands from the network this month all to raise funds for cancer charities.

Katy is no stranger to fundraising for CancerCare, having raised £3000 for the charity when she shaved her head three years ago.

You can learn more about Ecojiko and purchase an item via their website: https://www.ecojiko.co.uk