Zoe Ashworth, Cancer Champion
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| Zoe Ashworth (second left) at the launch of the Cancer Champions project |
I decided I was no longer happy working in the financial industry that I had worked in for several years, and that I would find something that gave me meaning, that I enjoyed doing, something that I ‘got something out of’.
I didn’t know where to begin. I knew that I wanted to work with and help people; I just wasn’t sure where, what I wanted to do or how to start. I started to think about my options.
Shortly after, I applied to become a volunteer at my local hospital, Stepping Hill in Stockport. I had my interview and luckily landed a volunteer role which I was very pleased with.
I enjoyed volunteering so much that I applied to a nearby college for an access to higher education course and also to re-do some of my GCSE’s. I knew this wouldn’t be easy especially as I had a one-year-old daughter. In becoming a volunteer, it made me realise that helping people was where I wanted to be. After a difficult childhood, I had finally found something that made me feel elated!
Despite my initial doubts, after much perseverance, I achieved excellent grades in my access course and managed to re-do the three GCSEs I needed to get into university, all whilst volunteering for around three hours each week.
You’re probably wondering how this links to The Christie and how I become a Cancer Champion.
Well, I knew that my late nanna attended The Christie when I was as a child, but it was only when I reached my mid-twenties that I found out she had received treatment at The Christie for breast cancer, not just once, but twice.
My nanna always spoke so highly of The Christie even when I was young. I just didn’t know how special The Christie was until I became an adult and realised how privileged we are to have such an amazing, world class hospital within Greater Manchester. This being confirmed more recently after my grandma was diagnosed with lymphoma and started receiving treatment at The Christie last year.
You see, going back many years ago, I had always wanted to know more about cancer, why people get it, how can we prevent it and so on. Sadly, cancer will more than likely affect us all, in one way or another, if it hasn’t already.
As I achieved all the grades I needed to get into my chosen university, I became a student nurse. As a student nurse, you get various placements within different trusts. It was on one of my study days during my first year as a student nurse that I attended a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting with Stockport’s cancer board.
An MDT meeting is where various professionals come together to make decisions about particular issues. It was during this MDT meeting that I met the regional manager (North West) for Beating Bowel Cancer as well as staff from Public Health Stockport MBC, Macmillan and Cancer Research UK. They were discussing a new bowel screening project (bowel cancer is currently the 2nd biggest cancer killer).
Despite being a nervous first-year student nurse (with no knowledge of bowel cancer or bowel screening) I mentioned my previous volunteer experience and suggested it would be a great idea to consider volunteers from various areas, including existing hospital volunteers and even students from universities/colleges to help raise awareness. There are many people who are willing to give their time for fantastic causes such as this, they just need to be made aware.
The team welcomed my suggestion and before I knew it, despite having a young child and managing a university degree I was receiving the training I needed to become a Beating Bowel Cancer screening volunteer. The training was very informal and I didn’t need to have any previous knowledge of bowel cancer/bowel screening. I was provided with all the information I could possibly need. They were all so kind and friendly, and we all shared the same interest in helping people.
I was keen to get on board with the project as I believed that this volunteer role had the potential to make such a massive difference to peoples lives, catching cancer early is vital if we are to improve outcomes for people and their families.
In my role as a Beating Bowel Cancer volunteer/cancer champion, I visit a local GP practice where I am given a list of all non-responders (people who don’t send back their bowel screening kits after they have received them in the post). Currently, everybody aged 60-74 should receive a bowel screening kit every 2 years. I work through the list contacting patients by telephone in relation to bowel screening. I record the outcome of each conversation, taking note of who has agreed to have a new kit sent out. I work with the GP practices’ practice cancer champion, and at the end of my conversations I provide them with a list highlighting which patients have agreed to have a new screening kit sent out, the practice cancer champion will then order the new kits.
Crucially, the earlier bowel cancer is detected the better the survival rate. Earlier diagnosis also increases the odds of treatment success, resulting in fewer complications and improved quality of life for patients.
Volunteering with Beating Bowel Cancer has provided me with the skills and knowledge that I need to inform people about the importance of screening. I am passionate about health and knowing that I am making a difference, however small, makes me feel proud. Even if I help just one person, that means that I have done my job!
Being a Cancer Champion is very rewarding. I believe more people should be aware of local volunteering opportunities available to them. I think it’s important that people understand there is some flexibility, most people are very time poor so it is important that people are aware of the different ways in which they can help. Once people understand how meaningful volunteering can be, I am sure that many more people will be keen to get involved.
My young daughter and I hosted a bake sale and raffle on World Cancer Day (February 4th) to raise awareness and get people thinking about bowel screening. Anything I can do to make people think about screening is good enough for me, plus it was great being able to get my daughter involved too, she really enjoyed it and we made around £500 over the weekend, so it was a win-win situation.
I have learnt a lot about myself these last few years, and whilst it hasn’t been easy, I am so pleased that I have made the decisions that I have. Everything I have done, both big and small, has led me on to something else. I am enjoying the journey and through volunteering I have gained skills that I couldn’t have gained any other way. I volunteer as a Cancer Champion as often as I can, and have now gained a particular interest in public health. I started by volunteering on a hospital ward, and in doing that have changed my life. I am grateful for every experience in my life, both good and bad, because they have led me to where I am today, and I am privileged to be in a position where I can make a difference to people’s lives. It makes me feel good and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
It is vital that where possible we prevent cancer, but what is equally as important is screening and awareness initiatives. I feel it is my role to inform and empower people about screening. In my role as a friend, mother, relative, student nurse or volunteer, I will always try and do my bit so that the people around me are empowered to make the right decisions for them, so that they can all have long, happy and healthy lives. The more Cancer Champions that we have on board the more likely we are to beat cancer sooner.
If I can be a Cancer Champion, anyone can…..
For more details about how to become a cancer champion go to www.vsnw.org.uk/become-a-cancer-champion/
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