Macmillan and Black Country Integrated Care Board are working alongside community groups to raise awareness around cancer.
Cultural barriers and a lack of awareness about what cancer is in communities can often lead to late diagnosis and poorer survival rates. We will look to address these issues through a proactive community engagement by holding regular sessions and awareness talks.
The key main areas that we will look at are:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Cancer Prevention and Early Diagnosis
- Cancer Screening Programmes
- Signs and Symptoms
- Living well and beyond cancer
We will be looking at visiting communities soon with a range of awareness sessions and practical workshops, remember your feedback is key! We want to build these sessions around what you want and allow you to have a voice. We are happy to come to already established groups so just let us know what the dates and times are.
Community Connectors Project
We are excited to announce a new two and a half year project, funded by Macmillan, alongside four local organisations across the Black Country and Sandwell.
The Black Country Integrated Care Board, Macmillan Cancer Support and the four community organisations are working together on the project, which aims to address these health inequalities.
To achieve this, the partners will:
- Identify and address barriers to accessing cancer information and support, cancer screening, and health cancer services.
- Identify and address myths, perceptions and behaviours relating to cancer.
- Increase knowledge about cancer, including signs and symptoms, screening programmes, how to access services and cancer treatments.
- Increase trust in services.
Learn about the work we are doing locally on our Community Connectors website.
Bangladesh Islamic Association Smethwick [BIAS] was established in 1986 and is a formally constituted, community-led, independent charitable organisation committed to the alleviation of disadvantage, inequality and deprivation through a targeted range of services to the communities of Sandwell and with a particular focus on the Bangladeshi community. Visit their website here.
Nishkam Civic Association is a Sikh faith-inspired organisation located in Handsworth, one of the most deprived areas in England, suffering from significant and systemic inequalities. Established as a registered charity in 2002, it is now recognised as a trusted anchor organisation. Its mission is to selflessly go above and beyond to help others. Visit their website here.
West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre (WBACRC) is a community voluntary organisation and charity that has been in operation since 1985. Its prime purpose is to improve the life chances, opportunities and experiences of African Caribbean communities and local people. Visit their website here.
Yemeni Community Association (YCA) is a voluntary organisation that was established as a charity in 1997 and stands as a vital cornerstone in Sandwell, addressing the multifaceted needs of Yemeni and other Arabic-speaking communities, as well as extending its support to disadvantaged groups in the region. It has a number of volunteers across Sandwell. Visit their website here.
For more information on the project please contact the Programme Manager, or the Community Connectors, based in each organisation:
Programme Manager – Black Country ICB
Kassie Styche
Kassandra.
Nishkam Community Connectors
Sukhvinder Uppal
sukhy.
Ravinder Dhanjal
ravinder.
Bangladeshi Islamic Centre Community Connector
Nila Akram
nila
Yemini Community Association Community Connector
Ameena Westwood
ameena
West Bromwich Afro Caribbean Resource Centre Community Connector
Veronia Howe
veronica.
Cancer Health Inequalities Project (CHIP)
The Black Country Integrated Care Board aims to address these health inequalities.
To achieve this, The black country integrated board will:
- Identify and address barriers to accessing cancer information and support, cancer screening, and health cancer services.
- Identify and address myths, perceptions and behaviours relating to cancer.
- Increase knowledge about cancer, including signs and symptoms, screening programmes, how to access services and cancer treatments.
- Increase trust in services.
Aim: To improve earlier diagnosis and outcomes for those groups experiencing health inequalities within Wolverhampton, which supports the CORE20PLUS5 approach, key clinical area of early cancer diagnosis: 75% of cases diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.
Contact information:
Project Manager – Black Country ICB
Roz Geary
r.geary@nhs.net
Involvement Specialist – Black Country ICB
Abda Aslam
abda.aslam@nhs.net
Clinical Support – Black Country ICB
Lesley Thorpe
lesley.fellows@nhs.net
