Published on 23 March 2026
A new report and video highlighting the success of our pioneering Community Partnerships programme shows how the initiative is making a real difference in cancer awareness and early diagnosis across the region.
Launched in 2022, this award-winning programme – the first of its kind in the UK – Is supporting over 200 grassroots projects in raising the understanding of cancer.
Through collaboration with community groups via Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) organisations, the programme is helping people recognise cancer symptoms, attend screening appointments and adopt healthier lifestyles through the delivery of NHS-approved health information.
Our report – Community Partnerships Impact Report 2023-25 – highlights the how more than 48,000 community interactions have led to significant improvements in early cancer diagnosis rates and a reduction in health inequalities across Cheshire and Merseyside. Notably, early diagnosis rates have risen from below the national average in 2019 to now exceeding the England average.
Central to this success are Social Action Leads – local champions, employed by CVSs, who work closely with voluntary organisations to coordinate grants, deliver cancer awareness sessions, and build trust with underserved communities. Their efforts have been nationally recognised, with the programme winning the HSJ Award for Community Care Initiative of the Year at the 2024 HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
You can read more about the impact of the project, including some case studies and examples of projects, in the Community Partnerships Impact Report 2023-2025
You can also see this brought to life by some of our Social Action Leads and community groups in the Community Partnerships programme video.
You can also email us about it at ccf-tr.cmcacommunitypartnerships@nhs.net