We’re now in our 25th year of cancer prevention work and our research tells us that people are starting to get the message. But not everyone finds it easy to act on the advice we provide or make the necessary lifestyle changes. That’s why this year we introduced I CAN… to help people take action on cancer prevention.
Launched in May 2015, participants signed up to a series of practical tips designed to improve their health and reduce their cancer risk.
“I feel much better for making these changes - I feel more alive and have more energy. Once you try, it’s not hard and you are motivated to stick with it and do a lot for your health.”
Jane Poole, I CAN… participant
In its first three months the campaign reached over 13 million people through social media, press and video. 92 per cent of those who took part said it had encouraged them to make long-term changes to better health, and 97 per cent said they would recommend the campaign to others. The campaign was nominated for the best in-house health and wellbeing campaign in the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) Awards.
This year our Great Grub Club website has gone from strength to strength, regularly seeing 150,000 visits a month.
Nevertheless, one in five children in England are already overweight or obese by the time they start primary school and we know that overweight children often grow up to become overweight adults, with all the health problems, and increased cancer risk, that brings.
“I found this programme really helpful to refocus my mind on why we give snacks to our children between meals. The point of snacks is to make sure children get the full 'rainbow' of vitamins and nutrients that may not fit into mealtimes, not just to ensure they feel full between meals!.”
Participating parent, Smart Snacking Pilot
With this in mind, in September 2015, we began testing a Smart Snacking programme for 3-5 year olds to help parents introduce more vegetables, fruits and high-fibre foods into snack time, whilst cutting down on less healthy snacks which are higher in fat, sugar or salt.
Our Smart Snacking pilot supported 200 families to move towards a healthier lifestyle with 93 per cent of parents declaring they would recommend the programme to others.
This year has seen our refreshed brand spread across our wide range of publications, from cancer prevention leaflets and cookbooks to our website and supporter newsletter, which reached it’s 100th issue in 2015.
Featuring Marilyn Gentry, our founding CEO, the centenary newsletter took a trip down memory lane, reviewing our milestones and past achievements as we begin our 25th year of cancer prevention work.
“When we founded World Cancer Research Fund, there was still a feeling that cancer causes were genetic or viral. People didn’t believe they had any control over their cancer risk. We’ve helped them understand that they have an important role to play in cancer prevention.”
Marilyn Gentry, Founder & Chief Executive, World Cancer Research Fund
Health professionals are at the forefront of keeping us all healthy and are vital sources of cancer prevention information for the public. For this reason, we run regular workshops, this year in London and Newcastle, for health workers to share the latest cancer prevention evidence.
“I have worked in cancer awareness for nearly six years but the content within the workshop taught me a few things I didn’t already know. I’m sure that every one of my colleagues can learn from this workshop.”
Justine, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust
But we know it’s not always possible for busy professionals to get along to these events, so this year we launched our online cancer prevention workshop, covering all the information health professionals need to support people to reduce their cancer risk.
Recently accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, our workshops cover the science behind our recommendations and explain how health professionals can help people change their behaviour for reduced cancer risk.