An NHS initiative that has helped community groups across Halton & St Helens to raise awareness of cancer has won a prestigious health award.
The Health Creation Alliance has given its Best Health Creating Cross-Sector Programme award to Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance for its Community Partnerships programme, which is run in conjunction with Halton & St Helens VCA.
The programme funds Social Action Leads, people who work with community groups to give information on cancer signs and symptoms and promote screening in a bid to find cancer earlier when treatment is easier and more effective.
More people die from cancer in Cheshire and Merseyside than the England average, but early diagnosis rates here have been improving from significantly below the England average in 2019, to slightly higher than the England average in 2024. The Community Partnerships programme is one of the areas of the Cancer Alliance’s work that has contributed to this.
Sally Yeoman, Chief Executive of Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action said, “We are so proud of this innovative partnership and the work our Social Action Lead, Laura Bevan has undertaken with local groups, colleagues across the CVS network in Cheshire and Merseyside and the Cancer Alliance. This approach has enabled us to reach people and communities who are often missed from the important messages about screening and prevention, which is vitally important to make sure people live longer, healthier lives”
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