This article has been written by FCN’s National Manager (Scotland) Sheena Horner (photographed below).
What is a Rural Community?
It’s the teacher, the mechanic, the auctioneer, the nurse, the gamekeeper, the local shop assistant, the accountant, the farmer, the CEO, the contractor, the solicitor, the ghillie, the librarian, the councillor, the sheep shearer, the trawlerman, the fish farm worker, the forester, the physiotherapist, the postman or woman, the pharmacist, the baker, the consultant, the social worker, the local delivery driver, the butcher, the bus driver, the paramedic, the hotelier, the doctor, the pilot, the chef, the land agent, the ecologist and yes there will be many more I have missed!
The rural community put simply is EVERY ONE of us who are not living in urban areas and that amounts to an awful lot of us.
And it is EVERY ONE of you that we want to consider their health and #NipItInTheBud
The Rural Communities Cancer Project will affect you all. You may not think it now, especially if it hasn’t as yet, but unfortunately the stats say that it will. 1 in 2 of you will be affected by cancer. So, let’s ensure that if it does affect you that you #NipItInTheBud When you notice or feel something different or unusual then phone your doctor and make sure you get an appointment. As the sooner you reach out and get a diagnosis if it is cancer, the sooner you will start treatment and the better chance you will have of survival.
But we don’t just want you to #NipItInTheBud, we want you to tell us your cancer journey – the good and the bad. We want to feedback those conversations we have had with you, let others know any challenges YOU have faced so we may help others.
Can’t get an appointment, no public transport, loved ones can’t support or travel with you due to cost implications, no one to look after your livestock, no available hotels or if there are they are too expensive, no one to look after your shop while you receive treatment, no one to talk to, no one to care for your crops, no one to drive your taxi and the wider implications of that to others in the community, no one to catch the fish, no accessible flights, journeys taking over a day to receive treatment?
We can’t resolve this overnight but we can collect all this data and feed it back to those that can make a difference and have a greater understanding of our rural communities.
Let’s not make living in a rural community a barrier, let’s ensure that others want to work and live in our communities and have the same route to diagnosis and treatment as others.
If you already have feedback we’d be delighted if you could complete this survey and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to chat.
Together we can and will #NipItInTheBud
The FCN teams are available to visit your community or business, offering informal chats and presentations to educate people on the signs of cancer, and discuss services and support options. Call FCN in confidence on 03000 111 999 or email help@fcn.org.uk.
The Macmillan Support Line is available on 0808 808 00 00, seven days a week, 8am to 8pm.