Ambassador news: Cancer Campaigns

MBE for ‘Gobsmacked’ Ambassador!

Bridget McNally, the first Cancer Campaigns Ambassador recruited in Wales, has been awarded an MBE by the Queen for her work with Cancer Research UK.

Bridget said she was ‘gobsmacked’ to discover she was to receive the honour but those who have worked with her will not be surprised. Back in 2005, less than 18 months after a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and raised over £5000 for Cancer Research UK. Today, Bridget is one of the greatest champions for Relay and a hugely influential Cancer Campaigns Ambassador.

As a Cancer Campaigns Ambassador, Bridget took part in our first Ambassador lobby in Wales, where she discussed the need for a Welsh cancer plan with her Assembly Member, Jeff Cuthbert, and simultaneously charmed his socks off. In addition to this, Bridget accepted an invitation to address the Welsh Assembly All Party Group on Cancer with a candid talk about her ongoing cancer experience.

Bridget can reduce an audience to tears with her openness and yet within minutes she will have everyone floored with her cheeky wit and self deprecation. A tenacious and passionate woman, the charity is very lucky indeed to have her support.

Gordon Brown invites inspirational Cancer Research UK supporter to Downing Street

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah welcomed Suzanne Fernando, a cervical cancer survivor and Cancer Research UK Ambassador, to 10 Downing Street to celebrate International Women’s Day on Monday 9 March.

On meeting the Prime Minister, Suzanne presented him with a report from the Screening Matters campaign and spoke passionately about the need to get more women to attend cervical cancer screening when invited. The Prime Minister praised Suzanne’s work and asked her to write to him about her experiences so that he could respond to her personally.

Suzanne enthused, "To have the opportunity to meet and speak with the Prime Minister about cervical cancer, an issue I live and breathe, was incredible. I had one of the most amazing evenings of my life."

Following the reception, Prime Minister Gordon Brown added, "It was a wonderful evening and it was an honour to meet Suzanne - she is an amazing woman."

Ambassador tells All Party Group in Wales to help put tobacco out of sight and out of mind

On Tuesday 27 February 2009 the Welsh Assembly All Party Group(APG) on Cancer met to discuss the issue of young people and tobacco.

CancerCampaigns Ambassador, Bridget McNally, started the meeting by handing-in 55,000 petition signatures from the Out of Sight, Out of Mind campaign to the acting Chair of the APG, Dai Lloyd AM.

Bridget then spoke of her experiences as someone living with cancer and as a former teacher of primary school children who endeavoured to discourage them from smoking. Dai Lloyd AM praised Bridget for her ardent and moving talk which received applause.

Several impassioned speakers followed including a 16 year old from the young people’s smoking information service, Ffaith, who is currently trying to kick the potentially fatal addiction and three generations from one family who have successfully quit smoking thanks to the Stop Smoking Wales Cessation Service. More than a few tears were shed as one young woman broke down while describing her battle to stop smoking when she had discovered she was pregnant. Happily, she succeeded and through her talk she held her healthy young baby for all to see.

Tanya Buchanan, Director of ASH Wales gave an eye opening talk about the marketing of cigarettes to young people and the successes in countries such as Iceland where measures have been brought in to curtail the visibility and availability of tobacco to children.

The meeting of the APG was praised by all who attended and Dai Lloyd assured everyone that he and the other members of the APG would do all they could to ensure Parliament passed legislation to put tobacco Out of Sight and Out of Mind.

CancerCampaigns Ambassadors take calls to Cardiff

40 Ambassadors have been recruited from across Wales and tasked with lobbying their Assembly Member for a Cancer Plan for Wales. Many of them met their AM at a special lobby event on 2 July 2008 which took place alongside the Race for Life at Bute Park in Cardiff.

The new Cancer Reform Strategy for England and the revised Cancer in Scotland strategy were achieved thanks in part to our Cancer 2020 campaign in 2006. But Wales has never had a long-term cancer plan.

Ambassadors from Ynys Mon to the Vale of Glamorgan met with their AMs to spread the word about the charity’s Cancer 2020 campaign. AMs were convinced to take various actions, from signing a statement of opinion to meeting with the Health Minister, Edwina Hart AM, about a Welsh Cancer Plan.

After their meetings the Ambassadors and some AMs went down to the start line to cheer on the Race for Life participants.

Bridget McNally, Ambassador for Caerphilly, said: "The lobby was a great experience. I met up with all the Ambassadors about the Welsh Cancer Plan and listened to Jeff Cuthbert AM's passion about getting this agreed by the Welsh Assembly Government."

CancerCampaigns Ambassador Lobby of Parliament

The first ever lobby by CancerCampaigns Ambassadors took place on Wednesday 26 March in the Houses of Parliament.

The sixteen Cancer Research UK supporters, who acted as Ambassadors for the Screening Matters campaign, came from across England and spanned 9 of the 10 Strategic Health Authorities.

Ian Gibson MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, welcomed the Ambassadors and urged them to get the most out of their MPs. This helpful spur to action contributed to a hugely successful afternoon as the MPs in attendance exceeded all expectations by offering to do more than they were asked!

As well as signing the Early Day Motion in support of the campaign and meeting with the Chief Executive of their PCT to discuss local screening programmes, MPs promised to visit a local screening unit or community group to raise awareness of the issue. In addition to this, a parliamentary question is in the offing as well as a meeting with the Minister, Ann Keen MP, about specific screening issues.

The lobby also proved a success with the media. Numerous local papers have printed the press release sent by Ambassadors and one Ambassador was interviewed locally by BBC radio prior to the event and is due to feature in a forthcoming article in a magazine.

A great deal has been achieved in the forging of our first community of CancerCampaigns Ambassadors, including a new network of support and friendship. Crucially, faith in the Ambassador programme and what we are aiming to achieve has been established. As one Ambassador put it: "It was a huge learning experience which has opened my eyes to the possibilities of politics and how easy it is for an individual to try and encourage change."