Most of us will know someone who has been affected by cancer in some way. It might be a colleague, neighbour or a loved one.
Do you sometimes wonder, what you could do to raise awareness of this disease, so people know what to look out for and where to go for help? We are looking for people like you to become Cancer Champions for our Cancer SMART programme.
By getting Cancer SMART people in West Yorkshire and Harrogate will:
- Be more aware of symptoms of cancer and any unusual body changes
- Feel more confident to visit their GP and discuss concerns
- Feel more encouraged to attend screening
- Be better informed about lifestyle choices to reduce their risk
- Will know where to get information and support
We are developing a network of people in West Yorkshire and Harrogate, who are passionate about helping us to tackle cancer, with the potential to save lives by preventing cancer and catching it early.
Cancer SMART is a partnership of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance and patient-led charity, the Yorkshire Cancer Community (YCC).
We want to prevent as many people as we can from getting cancer in the first place and make sure that more cancers are diagnosed early, when it can be easier to treat. Unfortunately, not everyone feels empowered to make positive changes to their health to reduce their cancer risk, take up their invite for cancer screening, or seek medical advice for symptoms that might be cancer. This is where you can help us.
We are already making improvements in our cancer health services, but sometimes the most effective way of getting information to people is through their own networks – people that they see in their daily lives. This is where our Cancer Champions will be able to help.
Being a Cancer Champion is voluntary and you do not need to have any medical knowledge. You will be offered basic training from professionals so you will feel more confident to support people in your neighbourhood. The aim is to create a network of people who have accurate and up-to-date knowledge about cancer and local services including voluntary groups, charities and support based in hospitals, GP surgeries and online.
A Cancer Champion’s role will include helping to spread messages throughout their networks and communities about cancer prevention, awareness of what to look for and when to seek help and encouraging people to take up screening invitations.
We hope our first group of Cancer Champions will work with us to form a virtual steering group which will help to shape the design of the programme, training and information provided to Champions in the future.