Key awareness days in 2026: a planning guide for charity comms teams
Awareness days can be genuinely useful - but only when they’re used thoughtfully.
This is a curated list of key awareness days, weeks and moments in 2026, created as a planning aid for charity, public sector and purpose-led comms teams.
It’s not a checklist.
You don’t need to mark all of these.
And some moments are better acknowledged quietly, internally, or not at all.
The aim is to help you plan ahead, reduce last-minute pressure, and make clearer decisions about what’s right for your audience, capacity and purpose - without adding more noise.
How to use this list
Treat it as a planning heads-up, not a content calendar
Look ahead early, then choose selectively
Use awareness days to support your strategy - not replace it
I’ll also be sharing monthly “at a glance” round-ups on social, usually a week or so before the next month starts, for lighter-touch planning.
A note on dates
Some campaigns move slightly year to year
Religious observances may vary based on lunar calendars. (Dates marked with an asterisk may vary slightly year to year. This page will be updated if key dates change.*)
Always sense-check dates before publishing content
This page prioritises awareness over perfection.
January 2026
1–31 January – Dry January
1–31 January – Veganuary
4 January – World Braille Day
11 January – Human Trafficking Awareness Day
19–26 January – Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
24 January – International Day of Education
25 January – Burns Night
27 January – Holocaust Memorial Day
Note: Holocaust Memorial Day and similar moments require particular care. Awareness does not always mean posting.
February 2026
1–28 February – LGBT+ History Month (UK)
5 February – Time to Talk Day
6 February – Reclaim Social Day
10 February – Safer Internet Day
9-15 February – National Apprenticeship Week
9-15 February – Children’s Mental Health Week
14 February – Valentine’s Day
c. 17 February – Start of Ramadan*
March 2026
1–31 March – Women’s History Month
5 March – World Book Day
8 March – International Women’s Day
c. 19 March – Eid al-Fitr*
21 March – World Down Syndrome Day
22 March – World Water Day
31 March – International Trans Day of Visibility
April 2026
2 April – World Autism Acceptance Day
7 April – World Health Day
22 April – Earth Day
22 April – Stephen Lawrence Day
27 April – 3 May – MS Awareness Week
May 2026
12–18 May – Mental Health Awareness Week
12 May – International Nurses Day
21 May – Global Accessibility Awareness Day
30 May – World MS Day
June 2026
1–30 June – Pride Month
1–7 June – Volunteers’ Week
5 June – World Environment Day
15–21 June – Learning Disability Week
20 June – World Refugee Day
July 2026
15 July – World Youth Skills Day
17 July – World Emoji Day
28 July – World Hepatitis Day
August 2026
12 August – International Youth Day
19 August – World Humanitarian Day
31 August – International Overdose Awareness Day
September 2026
8 September – International Literacy Day
10 September – World Suicide Prevention Day
21 September – World Alzheimer’s Day
21 September – International Day of Peace
23 September - International Day of Sign Languages
25 September – World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
October 2026
1–31 October – Black History Month (UK)
1–31 October – Stoptober
10 October – World Mental Health Day
10 October – World Homeless Day
11 October – International Day of the Girl
November 2026
1–30 November – Movember
2–6 November – Trustees’ Week
8 November – Remembrance Sunday
c. 8 November – Diwali*
9-13 November - Anti-Bullying Week
20 November – World Children’s Day
20 November – Transgender Day of Remembrance
December 2026
1 December – World AIDS Day
1 December – Giving Tuesday
3 December – International Day of Disabled People
10 December – Human Rights Day
10 December – Christmas Jumper Day
A final word
Awareness days are a tool - not a strategy.
Used well, they can help you join conversations, add context, and tell stories that already matter to your audience. Used badly, they can create pressure, noise and performative content.
If this page helps you plan more calmly - or gives you permission to do less, not more - it’s done its job.
