Volunteers' Week: Thank you to our volunteer Health Champions!
Did you know Action Hampshire has its own dedicated team of 17 volunteers doing incredible work helping people in under-served communities start conversations about cancer.
We'd like to say a big thank you to:
🙏Kate Warstone, Alverstoke PCC
🙏Caroline Diamond, StoneCrabs Theatre
🙏Anjali Mavi, Hampshire Indian Community
🙏Abigail Withey, Helping Hooves
🙏Liz Kite, Dorset Coast Radio
🙏Ali Beg, Awaaz FM
🙏Mark Kirby, The Big Difference
As well as our Health Champions at Unity, The Women's Integration Group, Southampton Sudanese Community Association, The Vine Centre, Latvian Community in Portsmouth, The Breast Friends of Hants and IOW, Afro*disiac Live Radio, Shakti Asian Women's Group, Zero Hunger and Rainbow Makers 🙏
Why are our Health Champions so important?
Some communities see cancer as a taboo subject and prefer not to speak about it or get their signs and symptoms checked by a medical professional. For others there may be language or cultural barriers preventing them from accessing cancer information or attending screenings.
Our Health Champions have an in-depth understanding of the communities they work in. Some may also have lived experience of cancer. The champions offer trusted support and are skilled at starting conversations around cancer, a subject which many find difficult to talk about.
Project Lead for Communities Against Cancer, Kishor Patel said “Our Health Champions are an incredible team of individuals who understand their communities’ needs. They deliver cancer awareness sensitively and with compassion. If we can encourage people to look after their health and get signs and symptoms checked early, outcomes are often better.”
Is there a Health Champion in my community?
Our Health Champions help deliver our Communities Against Cancer project, alongside our partner Wessex Cancer Alliance. If you are are VCSE and are awarded a £2500 Communities Against Cancer grant we will support you find a Health Champion.
For more details about this, please contact the Communities Against Cancer team cac@actionhampshire.org