Summer sunshine or summer showers? While we wait for the weather to make up its mind, dive into our July newsletter packed with inspiration and updates!
Take a moment to explore what’s happening, discover new resources, and learn how you can help spread the life-saving message of early cancer screening. Your support makes all the difference as we work together!
Newsletter Highlights
- Upcoming Training & Events
- We have a Winner – Congratulations David!
- Breast Screening Research
- Answer Cancer Stakeholder Collaborative June 2025
- Engagement events
- What the Watergove Trust has been doing since it signed up to the Bee Seen Get Screened Pledge!
- Prevent Breast Cancer Event
- Opportunity to contribute to a research project
- Sickle Cell Disease Children’s Party
Upcoming Training & Events
Free training sessions from Answer Cancer, the Greater Manchester Cancer Screening Engagement Programme! Different dates and times are available to suit you. We are now offering training through a mixture of online and face-to-face sessions, so please make note when signing up!
You need to register in advance to attend the sessions, but you can join as many sessions as you like. For a list of courses and register, please click here.
We have a Winner – Congratulations David!
Congratulations David! Our Answer Cancer Champion and now Volunteer Champion has won the Volunteer Champion Award at the GM Health and Care Champions Awards 2025. He truly deserves this for transforming men’s health conversations and saving lives.
David commented, ‘To be nominated, then shortlisted and then actually win is simply overwhelming. I’m very honoured by this, and cannot thank you all at Answer Cancer enough. Cancer brings with it many adversities, and strips you of who you once were, but nights like last night reaffirm my reason for doing what I do. It [the award ceremony] for the time it lasted made me feel I’m worth it. This morning I feel armed and equipped to continue my life in the new me, spreading awareness of all cancers, highlighting the need to early detect, recognise symptoms, and the seek medical advice. I will continue to encourage people to comply with screening programmes and evidence their life saving meaning.’
Breast Screening Research
The University of Manchester are currently recruiting and interviewing women who have attended breast screening, and they need your help.
The study aims to understand how women with overweight or obesity attending breast screening services view the offer of dietary weight loss advice and service. This requires completion of a questionnaire and a one-to-one interview with a researcher. Those who take part are paid for their time.
If you are interested and meet the qualifying criteria, you can use the button below to find out more and apply to participate.
Find out more
Answer Cancer Stakeholder Collaborative June 2025
Thank you to everyone who attended our Stakeholder Collaborative on the 11th of June 2025 at Hyde Town Hall. You all helped to make it a successful event. There was plenty of networking and great discussions through the group activities.
We received new interest in signups for the Bee Seen Get Screened pledge, learnt about all the upcoming work from our Engagement Team member Naomy and the near-future plan for our work in Tameside.
We look forward to seeing you again soon at our next stakeholder collaborative.
View more photos of the event
Engagement events:
Did you know that the Answer Cancer Engagement Team can deliver events, stalls and training in Manchester, Tameside, Bolton, Oldham and Salford? Here is some feedback from a recent event at the Indian Association.
Everything ran really smoothly, well done to the organisers/coordinators of this event.
The cancer awareness presentation, delivered by Sabira from Answer Cancer was fantastic – I’ve certainly learnt a lot and hope to use when delivering my presentations.
Your delivery was excellent. You explained everything clearly, with just the right pace and tone, and used culturally relatable humour that really connected with the audience.
It was clear that the delegates were highly engaged and took away a lot from the session.
If you would like an Answer Cancer engagement session at you workplace contact Michelle using the button below.
Contact Michelle
Watergove Trust has signed up the Bee Seen Get Screened Pledge!
The Watergrove Trust, which comprises of six primary and three secondary schools in Rochdale, recently pledged to the Bee Seen, Get Screened pledge. Their pledge was publicised trust-wide to their 980+ staff in June. It is great that their colleague, Margaret, felt able to share her experience of cancer screening and the difference it made to her through early diagnosis. Talking about cancer and cancer screening in the workplace normalises the conversations and really does encourage colleagues to go for screening appointments when they are invited.
Watergrove Trust are continuing to raise awareness of cancer and cancer screening in their termly wellbeing newsletters, and they marked cervical screening awareness week in June using resources shared by Answer Cancer.
Ask your employer to take the Bee Seen, Get Screened pledge using the button below. More than 160 businesses have already signed up to:
- Give staff time off or provide flexible working to attend cancer screening
- Raise the profile of health and wellbeing in the workplace.
- Encourage their employees to talk about cancer and the importance of screening!
PLEDGE HERE
Prevent Breast Cancer Event
On Tuesday 2nd July, Answer Cancer, the Manchester Breast Screening Service, and Prevent Breast Cancer and Health Development Coordinators hosted a fantastic Breast Screening Open Day — and what a brilliant day it was!
Held in beautiful sunshine from 9am to 3pm, the event aimed to boost breast screening awareness and uptake in the Ardwick, Longsight, and Levenshulme communities, especially among women from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Two Big Highlights: but they were many more
- The Prevent Breast Cancer horsebox served free teas and coffees while offering a safe space for women to chat about breast awareness and ask questions.
- Tours of the Breast Screening Mobile Unit gave women the chance to explore the facility, meet the team, and understand what to expect from screening.
Over 400 women engaged with us all throughout the day — whether through conversations, health checks, leaflets, or tours.
Many women told us they had no plans to attend screening, even though they already had appointments. But after talking to Answer Cancer, touring the mobile unit, and asking questions in a relaxed environment, they changed their minds. Some even said they’d encourage their friends to go too!
We collected details from those who wanted to book or rebook appointments, and later that day, the Breast Screening Team returned to the office and personally scheduled the screenings — taking into account each woman’s preferred days, times, and any specific needs.
- 40–50 women visited the horsebox for chats
- Around 60 women toured the mobile unit
- 400+ women engaged overall
This event showed just how powerful partnership working can be in breaking down barriers, busting myths, and encouraging women to take charge of their health.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success — and to the wonderful women who joined us, asked questions, shared stories, and took that important step forward.
Opportunity to contribute to a research project
The University of Exeter and the University of Manchester are conducting some research which aims to develop a simple way to identify patients who need further investigation for possible cancer from smarter interpretation of standard blood tests. They want to recruit a small group or Manchester residents to advise on the next stage of the development
They are recruiting people who are over 60 and:
have had routine blood tests with a GP/ Practice Nurse
OR
have had personal experience with cancer whether it’s their own experience or that of a family member, friend, or someone they’ve cared for.
The researchers already have all the data they need, but now they’re looking for people to act as advisors, just to share thoughts, opinions, and lived experiences. No need to provide medical records or test results, and no research background is needed.
The advisory group will meet 4 times a year with payment of £25 and reasonable travel expenses for each meeting.
If you are aware of any one who may be interested please share and they can Contact Lucy at L.R.Kirkland@exeter.ac.uk
Contact Lucy
Sickle Cell Disease Children’s Party
Age 5-10 only
CONFIRM ATTENDANCE VIA: 07407853766
OR
EMAIL: chantelle@sicklecellcaremanchester.co.uk
CHILD MUST HAVE SCD (Sickle Cell Disease); UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR THOSE WITH SCT (Sickle Cell Trait)
If you have any questions or queries please contact us using the link below.
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Engage with Voluntary Sector North West
As one of the four partners in Answer Cancer, Voluntary Sector North West supports the sector “to positively shape the future of the North West”.
If you are a VCFSE organisation interested in engaging with Voluntary Sector North West, we invite you to connect with us. You can join free of charge as either a full member or an associate member, or simply subscribe to our e-bulletin to receive the latest updates and insights about the sector. If you are interested in joining as a member, or would like to join our conference on the 14th November, just follow the links.