Stories & Ink: Supporting the Mastectomy Tattoo Alliance

At Stories & Ink, we believe in the power of tattoos to heal, to empower and to tell stories that words sometimes can’t. That belief is deeply rooted in our brand pillars: inclusivity, self-expression and community support. That’s why we’re proud to be fundraising for our charity partner, the Mastectomy Tattoo Alliance (MTA) a remarkable organisation founded by the inspiring Tanya Buxton.

Tanya Buxton (@tanyabuxton) is no ordinary tattoo artist. She was the first ever hired by the NHS to provide areola tattoos for mastectomy patients—using ink not just as art, but as a powerful tool for healing. As the founder of the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance (MTA), she’s on a mission to make these tattoos more widely available for the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender / non-binary communities. She also educates both tattoo artists and medical professionals, bridging the gap between traditional tattooing and medical restoration.

The MTA offers more than tattoos. It offers renewed confidence, dignity, and identity to women (and men) across the UK who’ve undergone mastectomy surgery. Tanya’s work connects survivors with skilled tattoo artists who transform post-surgical scars into powerful pieces of body art. These tattoos aren’t just beautiful, they’re deeply personal symbols of resilience, self-love and healing.

This work is changing lives. It’s redefining what recovery can look like and giving people back something that was taken from them, not just skin, but self-confidence and agency over their own bodies.

Join us in supporting Tanya and the Mastectomy Tattoo Alliance as we work together to raise funds, raise awareness and help rewrite the stories of survivors.