This brief article was written by Alex Phillimore, Head of Communications and Development and UK Project Lead for the Rural Communities Cancer Project.
Today (31st March) The Farming Community Network comes to the end of the first year of the UK-wide Rural Communities Cancer Project with Macmillan Cancer Support. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the FCN/Macmillan project team for their hard work over the last 12 months planning and delivering upon this vital initiative.
We know in our sector the unique barriers to accessing healthcare services that can exist in farming/rural/migrant worker communities. Through this Project so far, we have engaged with hundreds of people, helping to raise awareness of cancer support available from Macmillan; telling the stories of people impacted by cancer in our sector; and developing a wide range of resources as part of our #NipItInTheBud campaign to motivate people to get themselves checked.
We could measure success in all sorts of ways. It could be the 10,000+ posters, flyers and other materials we have placed in veterinary practices, GP surgeries, marts, Young Farmers’ Clubs etc. Or we could point to the 150+ articles of media coverage we have seen – ranging from farming to national press – helping to spread messages of early intervention, hope and support. It could also be the hundreds of stakeholders, from ministers to farming unions, that have backed our campaign and are helping to break down the stigma around talking about cancer.
For me, the biggest impact is knowing that we are making a real difference. We last week shared the story of a colleague who was diagnosed with cancer early and is now receiving treatment thanks to this work. It is humbling to know that people are directly benefiting from this unprecedented partnership.
This is a life-changing Project. Our team is going into Year 2 energised and ready to ensure farming people and those living in rural communities are more familiar with the signs and symptoms of cancer, and are able to access the support they need, when they need it.