On Tuesday 9 July, Cancer Champions across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Powys came together for a special celebratory afternoon to celebrate the success of the Cancer Champions Project.

The Cancer Champions Project is a local initiative where champions from Core20PLUS communities are driving conversations that empower and encourage people in their community to take up cancer screening, spot the early signs of cancer and seek help. This growing network of community champions also provides a direct route to engagement with our most under-served communities, where seldom-heard voices are sharing pivotal insights into barriers to access to inform and help shape more equitable local services and improve health outcomes.

The afternoon was led by delivery partners, Lingen Davies Trust and Qube, and was attended by representatives from the NHS, Cancer Champion volunteers and coordinators, and Anna Turner JP, Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire.

The afternoon included presentations from those involved in the project, as well as stories from Cancer Champion volunteers. The event allowed an opportunity to network, eat cake and celebrate the achievements so far, as well as discuss the exciting future of the project.

Tracey Jones, Head of Health Inequalities at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “It fills me with pride to see what has been achieved so far and to be a part of it moving forward. We know that Cancer Champions are making a real difference by spreading the word that spotting cancer early saves lives particularly by reaching into communities who experience difficulties with access to screening or those who benefit from further information on the role of screening. I want to say thank you to all who are involved.”

The Cancer Champions Project now has almost 500 volunteers working across the region helping to improve uptake in cancer screening and outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer. You can still become a Cancer Champion and to find out how to become a part of this project, visit www.cancerchampions.co.uk.