Leaders in health, business, education and charities across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw were among those who gathered at an event during the summer to kick-start a new movement aimed at reducing the incidences of cancer in our region.
South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Shows Up is a five-year cancer strategy and social movement encouraging organisations and individuals to ‘show up’ for each other, making pledges to help tackle cancer and its causes in schools, workplaces and communities.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is supporting the strategy and its bold ambitions to acknowledge cancer as a long-term condition, address inequalities in diagnosis and treatment in our communities, and to explore the promotion of effective prevention measures.
He said: “Our region has one of the highest rates of cancer in England, with the lowest proportion of people diagnosed at an early stage. I’m simply not prepared to accept those statistics as inevitable or insurmountable. That’s why I’m now leading the development of a cancer strategy that will challenge us to think and act differently.
“This event was just the start, but it is an important moment; a moment to bring together leaders from across our region to begin doing things differently, and to start challenging the cancer outcomes we see in South Yorkshire. ‘Shows Up is urging everyone to play a vital part in that mission.”
Chaired by NHS South Yorkshire’s CEO Gavin Boyle, delegates heard from many guest speakers about the high incidence of cancer across South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire and the challenges it presents.
These included Dr Kevin Smith, Deputy Director for Public Health at NHS England for the North East and Yorkshire, who outlined the strategy’s proposed bold ambitions.
Sheffield Hallam University’s research fellow Dr Liam Humphreys talked about the evolution of cancer care and programmes to help people live longer and better.
And Professor of Surgery at the University of Sheffield, Jim Catto, shared a detailed picture of the incidences and types of cancer prevalent across our region.
Dave Capper, Group CEO of Sheffield-based Westfield Health, highlighting the importance of valuing the workforce and supporting them through their own experiences of cancer.
The focus in the first year includes working with schools and employers to highlight the importance of recognising signs and symptoms of cancer early enough to get diagnoses that can save lives – and not only their own lives, but those of their families, friends and work colleagues.
Pledges made at the event are helping to inform the strategy and more will be collected as Shows Up gathers pace.
Go here to pledge your support and discover how you can get involved
Go here to see the strategy’s bold ambition’s
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