Our Social Action Lead (SAL), Rhian Davies, has been at the heart of the early cancer detection efforts across Wirral over the past year. Partnering with the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, the aim is to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, encourage early detection, and boost participation in cancer screening programs—especially among Wirral’s most underserved communities.

Year 1: Progress and Achievements

The first year of the Social Action Lead role (2023-2024) has been full of milestones. Here are some key highlights:

Community Engagement and Outreach
Since the start of this role, we have connected with over 50 local organisations, ranging from grassroots support groups to larger community bodies. Through 17 events and meetings, we engaged 795 people across the Wirral, ensuring cancer awareness reached a wide audience. These engagements spanned multiple groups, including:

• Fibromyalgia Support Group
• Make it Happen Birkenhead (Macmillan Coffee Morning)
• Long Covid Support Group
• Heart 4 Refugees Drop-In

At each of these gatherings, Rhian provided critical information on cancer symptoms and screenings, aiming to empower individuals to take charge of their health. Additionally, she actively participated in team meetings for organisations like Involve North West and Wirral Mencap, embedding cancer awareness into their ongoing work.

Workshops and Training Sessions
One of the core achievements in Year 1 was the successful delivery of nine training sessions for five organisations. These sessions were designed to equip community and voluntary sector staff with the tools to discuss cancer symptoms and screenings confidently with their clients. A workshop was hosted with local voluntary organisations to discuss how a Social Action Lead can further support their staff and service users, with a focus on education around early detection.

The feedback from these training sessions has been overwhelmingly positive, with many organisations eager to integrate these learnings into their regular health and wellbeing programmes. We also began exploring partnerships with local schools and colleges to reach younger audiences.

Media and Public Outreach
Our work gained attention beyond the community groups. Rhian woke up early to speak on BBC Radio Merseyside, discussing the role and the importance of early cancer detection. She was also featured in local news articles, including Birkenhead News and Wirral Globe, which helped amplify the message further into the community.

What’s Next: Plans for Year 2

Building on the success of Year 1, we’re excited about the initiatives lined up for the second year of the Social Action Lead role. Our main focus areas will include:

Workshops and Training
We plan to expand our workshops, offering more training sessions for voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) colleagues. These workshops will continue to focus on education around early cancer detection and timely healthcare engagement.

Community Partnerships and Resource Creation
Year 2 will see further collaboration with local organisations, particularly smaller groups that are deeply embedded within underserved communities. We aim to create useful resources that will help spread cancer awareness even more widely. Some of these initiatives include:

• Back-to-school health and wellbeing packs
• Wellbeing packs for cervical screening attendees
• Budget-friendly recipe books
• Reusable shopping bags with cancer awareness messages for food banks

These resources are designed to be practical and informative, making cancer awareness a part of everyday life in the community.

Health and Wellbeing Events
We will also host community-centered health and wellbeing events that integrate cancer awareness into broader discussions around health. Our goal is to ensure that conversations about cancer prevention and early detection happen in as many settings as possible.

Lessons Learned and Challenges

Introducing a new role in a busy sector like healthcare and community support has highlighted the importance of strong connections and consistent communication. While the SAL role is only part-time, the progress made this year shows that with the right partnerships and community engagement, we can make significant strides in cancer awareness.

Looking ahead, we’re committed to refining our approach, gathering more qualitative feedback from the community through case studies and surveys to better measure the impact of our work.

We are incredibly proud of what has been accomplished so far, and we’re excited to continue this vital work in Year 2. Stay tuned for more updates on our initiatives and progress!

If you would like to learn more about the Social Action Lead role or get involved, please contact Rhian Davies at rhian.davies21@nhs.net.