A unique Doncaster fashion show is returning this year, where every single person walking the runway has been affected by cancer.
The annual Aurora Fashion Show, held at the Doncaster Dome, has been running since 2003, raising thousands of pounds each year for the Aurora Wellbeing Centres.
For organiser and choreographer Heidi Lindle, the event is about far more than fashion.
“The beauty of the fashion show is every single person on that catwalk has either got cancer or is still going through their cancer journey,” she told The Don.
“We’re not models, we’re not professionals, we’re real people. Some people are terminally ill and they still get up on that stage and strut their stuff to show cancer isn’t going to rule their lives.”
The Aurora Wellbeing Centres were originally founded after four women receiving cancer treatment together realised there was barely any support available to help people feel good about themselves during chemotherapy and recovery.
One of those women was the late Denise Dunn, who worked with Doncaster Royal Infirmary to create a service offering safe wellbeing treatments tailored for cancer patients.
Today, the charity provides complimentary therapies including massages, facials and manicures to people diagnosed with cancer, as well as support for carers.
The organisation has since expanded across Doncaster, Worksop and Mexborough, offering a variety of wellbeing services.
To help fund the therapists behind those services, Denise launched the Aurora Fashion Show alongside local businesses in Doncaster more than two decades ago.
Since then, the event has grown into one of the city’s biggest charity nights, attracting crowds of up to 1,000 people and raising tens of thousands of pounds each year.
Last year alone, the wider fundraising team handed over £20,000 to Aurora, while previous years have seen totals reach £30,000 and even £50,000 after the pandemic.
“The money goes directly towards the therapists,” Heidi explained. “That’s how Aurora started and that’s what Denise always wanted.”
The show also shines a spotlight on independent Doncaster businesses, with around 20 local boutiques and retailers loaning outfits for the runway each year. Shops including Angelou’s in Tickhill, Imelda’s and Tickle Pink in Hatfield.
“We want it to stay based in Doncaster because this is its home,” Heidi said. “We want to support local shops because we know high streets are struggling.”
Everything involved in the show is voluntary, from the organising team to the models themselves.
“I’ve made lifelong friends through the show. Sadly, I’ve also lost people along the way, because that’s the nature of cancer. But every year we do it again for the people we’ve lost.”
Heidi, who previously battled bone cancer in her spine herself, says one message remains at the heart of everything Aurora does:
“If in doubt, get it checked out.”
The Aurora Fashion Show 2026 takes place tonight at the Doncaster Dome.
More information can be found on the Aurora Wellbeing Centres website.
