High Sheriff joins cancer awareness training in Newtown

More than 400 volunteers from Mid Wales have taken part in a regional initiative aimed at raising awareness about cancer, with the High Sheriff of Powys among those attending a recent training session in Newtown.

Sally Roberts joined a Cancer Champions training event delivered by Lingen Davies Cancer Support in the town last week. The sessions aim to help people recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage more open conversations about the disease in everyday settings.

The Cancer Champions project was launched by the charity’s LiveLife Cancer Awareness team in 2022 to help prevent cancer and improve awareness across communities. It was later expanded through a partnership with NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Oswestry Community Action as part of a national NHS England programme focused on addressing health inequalities.

Following the success of the programme in England, the initiative was also introduced in Mid Wales to support communities across the region.

More than 1,000 people have now been trained through the scheme across the wider area, with free weekly sessions available to businesses, students, community groups and health workers.

Speaking after attending the Newtown session, Mrs Roberts said she found the training both informative and accessible.

“I was pleased to take part in this valuable training. The afternoon was very informative and all delivered in a clear, concise way,” she said.

“There was an interesting cross section of people, including some cancer survivors, some nurses and health care professionals.”

Helen Davies, Powys Cancer Champions Coordinator for Lingen Davies Cancer Support, said the aim of the training was to help people feel more confident talking about cancer and recognising possible warning signs.

“We’re delighted that the High Sheriff could join one of our training sessions and I thank her for taking the time to attend,” she said.

“Cancer Champions training is about helping people have a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of cancer, helping to demystify some of the language and myths around it.

“To date we’ve delivered the half day training to businesses, college students, community groups, charity and health workers – a very broad spectrum of people. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. One in two of us will be impacted by cancer in our lifetime.

“By encouraging more everyday conversations about cancer we aim to raise awareness, and help more people understand the importance of seeking advice from their GP sooner rather than later if they have any concerns.”

As part of the wider project, a series of multi-lingual videos has also been produced to share information about breast, cervical and bowel cancer, particularly targeting communities less likely to take up screening invitations.

Cancer Champions are invited to regular meetings where they can share feedback about barriers people face when accessing screening. This information is then passed to NHS colleagues to help shape future awareness campaigns.

More information about becoming a Cancer Champion is available at www.cancerchampions.co.uk