How Your Business Can Get Involved in Pink October Movember

Every October, Malta turns pink for one of the country's longest-running health campaigns. Pink October Movember, run by The Marigold Foundation, is a ten-week national effort to raise awareness of several common cancers and fund earlier detection across Malta and Gozo. The campaign has been running since 2014, and over that time, consistent public awareness has helped drive real, tangible change, from earlier free screening to new medical equipment and expanded home-based cancer care.

For businesses thinking about where to direct their giving this quarter, this is a campaign with a clear, well-documented track record and plenty of ways to get involved that go beyond simply writing a cheque.

What the campaign covers

Pink October Movember focuses on early detection and education across five cancers, plus a dedicated patient and caregiver support pillar:

• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Patient and caregiver support (counselling, support groups, home care, and survivorship)

The campaign runs awareness talks, self-check education, screening drives, and vaccination and testing programmes throughout Malta and Gozo, aimed at catching cancer earlier, when outcomes are best.

The impact so far

The Marigold Foundation points to several concrete outcomes funded through past campaigns:

• The introduction of gynae oncology brachytherapy for cervical cancer treatment in Malta
• Funding toward a diagnostic ultrasound machine for cancer detection
• A second Oncology Outreach Unit, expanding home-based cancer care so patients can receive treatment without needing to travel
• A third Oncology Outreach Unit currently being developed for Gozo, to bring the same community-based care to patients on the sister island

How your business can take part

There are several ways a company can contribute, at different levels of time and budget commitment:

1. ‍Book an awareness talk - The campaign offers lunch-and-learn style sessions, where a health professional visits your workplace to talk your team through early detection and self-checks. A low-cost, high-value way to turn a CSR commitment into something your staff directly benefit from.‍
2. Organise a Pink Day - Host a casual fundraising day at your office (a dress-down day, a bake sale, a small internal event) with proceeds going to the campaign. Simple to run, and a good option for smaller businesses without a large CSR budget.‍
3. Shade it Pink - If your office has a building facade, window display, or public-facing space, lighting it pink for the month is a free, visible way to show support and spark conversation.‍
4. Make a donation - Direct donations fund education, screening equipment, and patient support programmes. The campaign accepts donations via call, SMS, mobile payment, or bank transfer, with several fixed amounts or an open "any amount" option.‍
5. Volunteer your team's time - Beyond financial support, the campaign welcomes volunteers at events, screenings, and awareness drives across both islands. This is a good option for businesses looking to offer skills-based or hands-on giving rather than a cash contribution.‍
6. Attend an event -The campaign runs walks, galas, and community events throughout the ten weeks. This is a lower-commitment way to show up and support publicly, especially for businesses still building out a formal giving strategy.

Whether your business gives through a one-off donation, a workplace talk, or a full Pink Day, it's a concrete, low-friction way to put a giving strategy into practice this quarter.

More information, including how to book a talk or donate directly, is available at pinkoctobermovember.mt.

‍