The Cancer Alliance’s early diagnosis improvement approach brings together NHS teams, primary care, local authorities, communities, and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, including our members, each playing their part to help ensure more people are diagnosed with cancer earlier.

At Spring North, we’re proud to lead the VCFSE partnership funded by  Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Alliance, working with grassroots organisations to ensure that key health messages reach the communities that need them most.

Through trusted relationships and local knowledge, our members have brought conversations about cancer to community centres, places of worship, sports clubs, community groups, local events and neighbourhoods across Lancashire and South Cumbria. These conversations help people recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer, understand the importance of screening and feel confident about seeking help sooner.

Over the past year, our members have delivered community activities, reaching thousands of people across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Every conversation, event and awareness session has helped people make informed decisions about their health and reduce inequalities in access to cancer information.

Martin Hartley-Smith, Chief Executive of Spring North, said:

“This is fantastic news for Lancashire and South Cumbria, demonstrating what can be achieved when health services and the voluntary sector work together.

“Community organisations are uniquely placed to reach people who may not engage with traditional services. They are trusted within their communities and can have conversations that encourage people to recognise symptoms, attend screening and seek support much earlier.

We’re incredibly proud of our members and the dedication they’ve shown throughout this programme. Their passion, commitment and ability to engage local communities have helped ensure that life-saving messages reach more people than ever before.

This achievement belongs to everyone involved, and we’d like to thank the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Alliance for recognising the value of community organisations in improving health outcomes across our region. We look forward to continuing this work together.”

Teresa Karran, Senior Programme Manager for Lancashire & South Cumbria Cancer Alliance added:

“This improvement is the result of a genuine team effort with all our partners pulling together towards a shared goal of improving cancer early diagnosis for people across our area.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of our VCFSE partners for the vital role you continue to play in helping people recognise possible signs and symptoms of cancer, access screening and seek support earlier. Your support and enthusiasm in delivering our VCFSE small grants, community cancer awareness champions, and early diagnosis campaigns has been integral to our improvement work, and your trusted relationships and understanding of local communities are essential in helping us to reduce inequalities and make sure cancer awareness messages reach the people who need them most.

“We greatly appreciate the ongoing partnership with Spring North and the wider VCFSE sector right across our region, and we are excited to build on this progress together.”

This achievement is a reminder that improving health outcomes isn’t something any single organisation can achieve alone. It takes collaboration, trust and a shared commitment to reaching people where they are.

We’d like to congratulate every organisation, volunteer and community champion who has contributed to this success. Together, we’re helping more people receive an earlier cancer diagnosis, giving them the best possible chance of successful treatment and recovery.

At Spring North, we’re proud to continue supporting our members in creating healthier, stronger communities across Lancashire and South Cumbria.