Funded by Wessex Cancer Alliance, the Communities Against Cancer project, available at this link, wants to reach out to those who may not have previously heard (or who have felt unable to act upon) public health advice in regards to cancer awareness and prevention.
Small grants (up to £700) are now available to individuals, groups, not for profit organisations to be creative and find their own ways to deliver these messages to the people they are meeting with, working with or supporting.
To help inspire you, here are some activities that have been supported:
- Radio broadcasts on community radio
- A radio drama
- Videos to show at events and meetings
- Healthy eating / cooking sessions with a focus on reducing risk of cancer
- Conversations at drop –in events and community group meetings
- Incorporating conversations and information into movement and exercise classes
- Engaging men through sports clubs and activities
- Training individuals as cancer champions, ready to have a chat with family, friends and neighbours
- And whatever would work for you!
We would love to hear your quirky ideas on how you’d like to get these messages out. We are all only constrained by the boundaries of our imagination (and the physical boundaries of the project which is operating along the south coast, covering Portsmouth, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Weymouth and Portland).
So far we have had some surprising feedback:
- Attendees at a lunch club actually found themselves enjoying meat-free meals;
- Some people believe that readymade meals are more nutritious than the homemade version;
- Participants have been shocked at how little they knew even though they attend screenings and thought they were knowledgeable;
- Not everyone understands that being overweight is a risk factor for a number of different cancers.
Through participating in a Communities Against Cancer activity, we hope that these participants are now better equipped to look after their wellbeing and as a result reduce their risk of getting cancer in the future.
If you have an idea of something that you would like to do that helps to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, the importance of screening and of early diagnosis, please email Claire using the contact box or click this link to visit our website where you will find for more information and details of how to apply for a grant.
