City's cancer champions are doing great work

THE purpose of the Plymouth Cancer Champions Project is to explore community-based solutions to health inequities for cancer patients within Plymouth.

- Niqui Bond

There is a particular focus on communities whose experiences and outcomes are known to be the worst because of the unacceptable barriers they face. This includes people living in low-income areas of Plymouth, people over the age of 50, and minoritised ethnic communities.

As 2025 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on this programme and our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, who fund the project.

What stands out most is the incredible progress we've made in local cancer care - and the fact that this progress is driven by the strengths, knowledge, and lived experience of Plymouth people across our city.

Nearly 3.5 million people in the UK are now living with cancer, and addressing this challenge is not something the NHS, local Trusts, or Health and Social Care Boards can do alone.

We must listen to and work alongside community members who bring vital perspectives that can inform how outcomes can be improved - harnessing community strengths to tackle health inequities in Plymouth.