Volunteer opportunity with local health team

The 'Talking about Cancer Service' which is part of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is looking for volunteers to join the service. The Service seeks to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of the most common cancers including bowel, breast and lung cancer.

The Talking about Cancer (TAC) Team is looking for more volunteers to help work in local communities to increase the understanding about cancer signs and symptoms and raise awareness of the NHS national screening programmes.

Fiona McQuiston, Heath Improvement Lead for the Service for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: "Approximately one in three people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. 50-75% of avoidable cancer deaths are due to the cancer being diagnosed in its late stages; being diagnosed early could save over 5,000 lives a year. That's why raising awareness of the signs and symptoms is so important, if people know what to look out for and we remove some of that stigma about seeking help then we can really make a difference to a person's chances of survival.

"We have an amazing network of volunteers who support the team, some who have been affected by cancer themselves or others who have know friends and family that have been affected, and they provide a very valuable addition to our team. We have a number of openings for   volunteers with the team and would really like to hear from anyone who might interested in finding out more. Volunteering with the team can result in gaining a great deal of satisfaction in helping others and gaining experience through dedicated training and development.

If you are interested in volunteering with the Talking about Cancer Team, please contact Donna McDermott, Health Improvement Practitioner on  0800 783 4056 for further information. 

Date published 10th August 2012