As March arrives and the first true signs of spring begin to blossom, we’re delighted to welcome you to our latest newsletter. With brighter mornings, longer evenings and a renewed sense of energy in the air, it’s a wonderful time to reflect, reconnect and look ahead to what’s coming up at Answer Cancer.
In this edition, you’ll find exciting event feedback along with upcoming training opportunities, community events and practical updates designed to inform, inspire and support you throughout the spring months. Whether you’re planning ahead or getting involved now, we hope this newsletter helps you stay connected, energised and ready for the season ahead.
Newsletter Highlights
- Tell Us What You Have Been Up To and WIN
- Did You Know?
- Upcoming Training & Events
- March is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
- Men’s Health Event brings partners together to share ideas and inspire action
- Salford Community Leisure sign up to Bee Seen, Get Screened
- Where’s My Photo?
- Our New April Bowel Cancer Campaign
Tell Us What You Have Been Up To and…
Since Christmas, Cancer Champions across our communities have been doing amazing work—starting conversations, sharing information, and encouraging people to take positive steps for their health. Whether you’ve spoken to a neighbour about cancer screening, supported someone to contact their GP, made a presentation to work colleagues, shared leaflets at a community event, or spoken on a podcast, every action makes a difference.
There is one more important way you can help us. Show the impact of your efforts by completing the quarterly Champion survey.
The survey is the main way we find out what Champions have been doing. It helps us understand:
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How many people you’ve spoken to about cancer awareness
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Who you may have encouraged to attend cancer screening
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Whether someone felt confident to contact their GP or another health professional after talking to you
These stories and numbers help Answer Cancer demonstrate the real difference Champions are making in their communities. They also help us secure support and funding so that the programme can continue to grow and reach even more people.
Even if you’ve only had a few conversations, please do fill it in. Every interaction counts.
Everyone who returns their survey will be entered into a draw to win a £50 voucher!
So take a few minutes to tell us what you’ve been up to. Your update helps us celebrate the incredible work of Cancer Champions and ensures your impact is recognised.
Individual Champions Survey
Organisational Champions Survey
DID YOU KNOW?
At our recent Champions Appreciation Event, we asked participants to let us know if there was anything we could do differently to support you in your role as an Answer Cancer Champion. We have taken away all your ideas to work on over the coming months, but a few things mentioned are already in place. Maybe we don’t shout about them enough. Here are a few things you might not know about Answer Cancer.
Answer Cancer has a YouTube channel offering a wide range of videos designed to make information accessible and relevant to diverse communities. This includes plain English content, resources in a range of community languages, and videos shaped by people’s lived experiences.
Over the coming months, we are planning to develop more videos. We regularly share relevant videos in this newsletter.
The Answer Cancer Engagement Team go out to community safe spaces to talk about cancer screening and awareness, run stalls and deliver sessions. If you would like a session in your workplace or community, use the button below to make an enquiry.
Contact the Engagement Team
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.
March is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Watch this video from Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance to find out more about the risk factors for prostate cancer.
Watch Video
Men’s Health Event brings partners together to share ideas and inspire action
Our recent face-to-face Men’s Health event was a fantastic success, bringing together 24 participants from a wide range of organisations who share a common goal: improving men’s health and increasing awareness of cancer screening.
The session created a valuable space for partners and community organisations to share information, experiences and good practice around some of the key health issues affecting men, including bowel, breast, and prostate cancers and mental health. While many of these topics can still feel difficult to talk about, the event showed just how powerful open conversation and collaboration can be.
The event began with a warm welcome from Jacqui Naraynsingh, our Project Coordinator, who led on organising the session. We were delighted to hear engaging and motivating presentations from colleagues at Prostate Cancer Support and Mentell, who shared insights from their work supporting men to open up about health concerns and seek help when they need it. Their contributions highlighted the importance of creating supportive environments where men feel comfortable discussing both physical and mental health.
Answer Cancer’s very own Zainab also delivered an inspiring presentation, reinforcing the importance of bowel cancer screening and the role community partners play in encouraging men to complete and send back their FIT kit.
Breast cancer awareness was brought to life through an inspiring video from Cancer Champion, David McCallion, whose personal and passionate message reminded us that breast cancer can affect men too, and that awareness and early action are vital.
One of the most valuable aspects of the event was the opportunity for open discussion and practical tip-sharing. Participants exchanged ideas about how to start conversations with men about health, how to reach those who may feel reluctant to engage with services, and how organisations can work together to spread consistent and supportive health messages.
The energy in the room made it clear that there is a strong and growing commitment across organisations to support men in taking positive steps for their health and wellbeing, whatever their background or circumstances.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended for your enthusiasm, insights and dedication. By working together and sharing what works, we can continue to strengthen the support available to men and ensure more people receive the information, encouragement and backing they need to access cancer screening and awareness to help look after their health.
Salford Community Leisure sign up to Bee Seen, Get Screened
Salford Community Leisure (SCL) is the latest employer to sign up to the Bee Seen, Get Screened pledge
Every year, more than three million visits take place across the 60+ venues managed by SCL. Behind each visit is a moment of activity, creativity, connection, or wellbeing which is now underpinned by the Bee Seen, Get Screened pledge.
SCL is proud to be deeply rooted in the community it serves. With 540 employees, around 70% of the workforce live in Salford, making the organisation not just a service provider but a significant local employer and a part of the fabric of the city.
Salford Community Leisure will now be:
- allowing their staff time off to attend cancer screening appointments
- raising the profile of health and wellbeing in the workplace
- and encouraging their employees to talk about cancer and the importance of screening
Why not be like SCL and sign your organisation or workplace up to the Bee Seen, Get Screened pledge.
SIGN THE PLEDGE
Where’s My Photo?
The Answer Cancer Team share the photos we take at events and when we are out and about, on our website gallery page. Just go to the News & Events page to access the gallery or click on the button below to view the fantastic photos our Champions Karl Chisipochinyi took at the recent Champions Appreciation Event.
View the Photo Gallery
Check Out Our New Bowel Cancer Awareness Campaign
April is bowel cancer awareness month. Why not use our new campaign materials in your internal comms at work, share it with your service users, display it on your big screen, or on the TV in the canteen or waiting room. Or you could just like and share our social media posts throughout the month. One of the best things you can do as an Answer Cancer Champion is to amplify our messaging by liking and sharing our posts.
Bowel Cancer Campaign Resources
If you have any questions or queries please contact us using the link below.
| GET IN TOUCH |
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook. Like and share our page to help spread the Answer Cancer message.
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.