Yesterday (25th November) Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and rural stakeholders from across Scotland committed to greater collaboration to help to address cancer inequalities in farming and rural communities, during a reception event held at Holyrood organised by The Farming Community Network (FCN) in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.
The reception was sponsored by Oliver Mundell MSP and featured emotive talks from across rural Scotland by individuals who work in cancer support services or have been impacted by cancer – with some sharing examples of people facing significant barriers to accessing support, including needing to travel long distances, take ferry trips and arrange costly overnight stays for hospital appointments and treatment.
The event saw organisations from across the rural sector show their support for the #NipItInTheBud campaign – which is part of the UK-wide Rural Communities Cancer Project – helping to raise awareness of cancer risks, signs and symptoms in farming, rural and migrant worker communities and to identify barriers these groups can uniquely face in accessing cancer support services.
Over 22,500 bespoke materials – including posters, flyers and information booklets – have been distributed to the rural community across the UK so far as part of this campaign.
More than 75 cancer awareness sessions have also been delivered, helping to improve the knowledge of a wide range of businesses and organisations across the agricultural sector and rural industries.
Organisations at the event included Macmillan Cancer Support, Seafood Scotland, Scottish Government, Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Land and Estates, Change Mental Health, NW & SW Region – Inshore Fisheries Group, The Fishermen’s Mission, WICCI, Welcome Pharmacy, NFU Mutual, Borders College, Farmstrong, QMS, RSABI, Craig Stephen Photography, SoSE, SRUC and SCDIC.
Sheena Horner, National Manager (Scotland) at The Farming Community Network, said: “We were encouraged by the spirit of collaboration at the reception yesterday evening, with many charities and organisations from across the rural sector coming together to discuss a joined-up approach to address inequalities for people in Scotland in accessing cancer support and treatment. This event marks an important development in the Rural Communities Cancer Project and we look forward to continuing to work across Scotland to drive the #NipItInTheBud campaign and raise vital awareness of cancer in our rural communities.”
Gordon McLean, Nations Lead (Scotland) for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “The Rural Communities Cancer Project is a flagship initiative and the first of its kind for Macmillan, increasing knowledge of cancer signs and symptoms in our rural communities, encouraging screening uptake and helping to encourage people to prioritise their health. We are delighted to be working in partnership with The Farming Community Network to deliver this important intervention.”
More information about the Rural Communities Cancer Project is available here: fcn.org.uk/cancersupport/
