Merivale Community Centre is proving there is more than one way for a bra to offer support by creating Tauranga's first Bra Fence for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dozens of bras will be hung on the fence outside the Kesteven Ave building from Tuesday, October 1 to mark the organisation's annual fundraising drive - and inspire others to hang their bras.

Martin McGoran and Jan Bublitz test out a trial bra fence at Merivale Community Centre today. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

MCC's whanau support officer Helen Paul-Smith says the idea for the bra fence came to her during a recent road trip.

'I was between Wanganui and Raetihi, and out in the middle of nowhere there's a big shoe fence, and it goes on, and on, and on.

'I put the awareness month together with our fence, and that's where the idea came from.”

The centre already has three bags of decorated bras ready for Tuesday morning and Helen is hoping for more donations in the next few days.

'Because the subject is so close to people, there's been a huge positive response and tonnes of support for it. We've had a lot of bras donated from second hand shops.”

The bra fence's creation will be followed by a ‘pink morning tea' at the centre at 9.30am on Tuesday, where the community can gather in support of the cause and make donations to Tauranga Breast Cancer Support Service.

Helen hopes to have someone speak at the event on the importance of breast screening, prevention and awareness.

'It's just educating people a little bit, as well as having a get-together and fundraising. It might not be a lot, but it will be something.”

Helen hopes people will add to the bra fence, and the idea will catch on and be replicated throughout the city.

'I think as with Greerton and their tree-bombing – that sort of caught on at my son's school [St Mary's], they also bombed their trees.

'It's cool how these things have a knock-on effect. Hopefully we'll have a collection by the end of it.”

The morning tea and fence launch is at 9.30am on Tuesday at Merivale Community Centre. Bra donations are welcome anytime.