Ribbon
The Meanings Of Charity Awareness Ribbons
Awareness Ribbon Colours & Their Meanings
Awareness ribbons are used to show support for charities, health conditions, remembrance campaigns and causes. Different ribbon colours have become associated with different campaigns, although there is no single universal list of awareness ribbon meanings and the same colour may represent more than one cause.
Use our guide below as a starting point when choosing an awareness ribbon colour. If you’re supporting a particular charity or campaign, we recommend checking the colour used by that organisation before ordering.
We can supply and personalise awareness ribbons with your charity name, event wording, message or logo, from small quantities to larger fundraising and event orders.
What Do Awareness Ribbon Colours Mean?
Awareness ribbons have been adopted by charities and organisations around the world to create a simple visual symbol for a cause.
Some associations have become particularly well known — such as pink for breast cancer awareness and red for HIV/AIDS awareness — while other colours are shared by many different campaigns.
Meanings may also vary between the UK and other countries, so when a particular charity matters to your event, its own official guidance should take priority.
What COLOUR TO CHOOSE?
Use our awareness ribbons to bring focus to a special charity or event close to your heart. Often used in memory of loved ones, perhaps in the colours of a favourite football team or colour they liked to wear, or to show your support to their favourite charity.
See our quick guide below to the most common charity ribbon colour meanings.
Red awareness ribbons are most widely recognised for HIV and AIDS awareness. Red ribbons are also used by some organisations and campaigns for other health and awareness causes.
Yellow awareness ribbons have been used for a variety of causes and remembrance campaigns. They are particularly associated with showing support for members of the armed forces in some countries, and are also used by some health and awareness organisations.
Pink awareness ribbons are most strongly associated with breast cancer awareness and are widely used by breast cancer charities and fundraising campaigns.
Burgundy awareness ribbons symbolize brain aneurysms, Caesarean sections (worn upside down), headaches, haemangiomas, vascular malformations, hospice care, multiple myeloma, William’s syndrome, Thrombophilia, Anthophorid Antibody Syndrome, and adults with disabilities.
Purple awareness ribbons are used by a number of campaigns, including some relating to pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer’s awareness, domestic abuse and several other health conditions.
Lavender awareness ribbons are commonly associated with general cancer awareness, rather than one particular type of cancer.
Blue awareness ribbons are used by several different campaigns. Associations can include bowel/colorectal cancer awareness, child abuse prevention and other health and social causes, depending on the organisation.
Dark Blue awareness ribbons symbolize arthritis, child abuse prevention, victim’s rights, free speech, water quality, and water safety.
Light blue awareness ribbons are commonly associated with prostate cancer awareness and are also used for some other health campaigns.
Teal awareness ribbons are particularly associated with ovarian cancer awareness and are also used by some organisations campaigning around sexual assault and other causes.
Green awareness ribbons have associations including organ donation, kidney-related causes and mental-health awareness, although individual campaigns use different shades and combinations.
Orange awareness ribbons are commonly associated with leukaemia awareness and are also used for several other health and social-awareness campaigns.
White awareness ribbons have been adopted by campaigns connected with peace and ending violence against women, among other causes.
Awareness ribbons in Ivory or Cream symbolize emphysema, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and multiple sclerosis.
Black ribbons are widely associated with mourning and remembrance and may also be used for specific awareness campaigns.
Grey awareness ribbons are commonly associated with brain cancer and brain tumour awareness, with other organisations also using grey.
The silver ribbon colour is a symbol for children with disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, and mental illnesses such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.
Gold awareness ribbons are widely used for childhood cancer awareness.
Which Awareness Ribbon Colour Should I Choose?
If you’re supporting a named charity or awareness campaign, start by checking whether that organisation has an established ribbon colour.
If you’re creating ribbons for a memorial or personal event, there doesn’t necessarily have to be an official awareness colour. Customers also choose ribbons because they reflect a loved one’s favourite colour, football team, school colours or something personally meaningful.
Personalised Awareness Ribbons
Awareness ribbon doesn’t have to be plain. We can print ribbon with your charity name, logo, event name, memorial wording, fundraising message or website address.
We’ve been printing personalised ribbon since 2007 and can produce quantities for individual events, charities, schools, businesses, fundraising campaigns and larger awareness programmes.
You’ll receive a visual proof before printing so you can check the wording, design and ribbon colour before Your Ribbon goes into production.
Awareness Ribbon for Memorials
Not every ribbon is chosen because of an established charity colour.
We regularly see ribbon used in memory of somebody special, where the colour may reflect something personal to them — their favourite colour, football team, club or another connection meaningful to family and friends.
In those circumstances, the meaning attached to the ribbon can be entirely personal.
SHOP AWARENESS & CHARITY RIBBON