L to R Fiona Stephenson, Sara Williamson, Carol Ferguson and Paul Vose
West Yorkshire & Harrogate Cancer Alliance and the Yorkshire Cancer Community have announced plans to join forces on a project that will raise awareness of cancer signs and symptoms; encourage more people to take up their invitations to screening, and encourage behaviours that will reduce the occurrence of preventable cancers.
The two organisations will work together to create a dynamic network of people in local communities who will be trained and supported to share information and key messages by talking to their families, friends, neighbours, wider personal and professional networks about issues relating to cancer.
This will build on existing links and support which already exist across West Yorkshire and Harrogate, including Yorkshire Cancer Community’s extensive network of more than 700 people affected by cancer, carers and health professionals, which has been built up over the past three years.
It is hoped that the project will also capture the interest of people who may not necessarily have had personal or family experience of cancer, but who in their daily lives come into contact with members of the public and are ideally placed to share information. This could potentially include hairdressers and beauty therapists; staff working on public transport; retail workers, and staff working in emergency services.
This work will also support the objectives of both the Cancer Alliance and Yorkshire Cancer Community to reach those people who currently experience barriers to cancer information, support and services, including people with a learning disability; teenagers and young adults with cancer, and black and minority ethnic (BAME communities).
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance is one of 21 Alliances around the country, bringing together NHS organisations, local authorities, voluntary and community organisations, charities, patient and carer groups to improve care and support for those affected by cancer.
The Yorkshire Cancer Community (formerly the Yorkshire Cancer Patient Forum) is an independent patient-led charity, based in Wakefield, providing information, support and advice for people affected by cancer and those who support cancer patients across the Yorkshire area.
The details of the project are currently under discussion and the project is expected to be launched next month (April).
Yorkshire Cancer Community chair Sara Williamson, a breast cancer patient said: “I am really excited by this development and look forward to working in partnership with West Yorkshire & Harrogate Cancer Alliance.
“It’s a key Cancer Alliance role to try and encourage behaviours that reduce the occurrence of preventable cancers; to promote screening and raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. It’s vital that we as patients play our part in sharing information and key messages, and helping others to do the same. As a patient-led charity, we hope we can bring a unique perspective to this project.”
Professor Sean Duffy, WYH Cancer Alliance Lead, said:
“We’re really excited to be working on this project with the Yorkshire Cancer Community. The sooner a cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chance of it being treatable. Even better if we can promote behaviours that might prevent cancer in the first place. To do this, we need to reach out as far as we can into all our communities across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. Informed conversations are the key to success and this partnership will really get people talking.