Campaigns

Lung Cancer Screening is an NHS programme designed to help find lung cancer at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective. It is offered to people aged 55 to 74 who currently smoke or have smoked in the past, as they are at higher risk of developing lung cancer. 

The programme, previously known as Targeted Lung Health Checks, is being rolled out across England, starting in areas with higher rates of smoking and lung cancer. It will become a national lung cancer screening programme by 2029/2030.  

Our campaign supports awareness and uptake of Lung Cancer Screening in areas where the programme is live. It aims to help people understand who the screening is for, what it involves, and why taking up the invitation is important for early diagnosis. 

Campaign activity includes a mix of digital and out‑of‑home promotion, such as social media advertising, targeted leaflet distribution, and printed advertising across local communities, including bus stops, phone kiosks and buses. This activity is designed to reach people where they live, work and travel, using clear and accessible messaging. 

Alongside promotional activity, we work closely with our Community Partnership programme (link) and local partners across Cheshire and Merseyside. This includes collaboration with community and voluntary sector organisations, such as Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) and other Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise (VCFSE) partners, to support trusted, local engagement. Community outreach workers with strong local knowledge help engage directly with communities that have not yet taken part in the programme. 

 This work is supported by a range of printed materials and digital toolkits, including tailored and translated resources, to ensure information is inclusive, culturally appropriate and accessible for local populations. 

You can find out more about the Lung Cancer Screening Programme and access campaign resources on the Lung Cancer Screening page. 

We began studying the experiences of people living with HIV when accessing cancer care. The findings highlighted ways to improve awareness of cancer symptoms and prevention within the HIV community. People living with HIV have a higher risk of cancer, are diagnosed at a younger age, and often at a later stage leading to worse outcomes. They often face additional barriers to accessing healthcare including stigma and fear of discrimination. 

This has led to two collaborative campaigns: 

A partnership with BHA for Equality to share anal cancer information with Black communities. BHA for Equality is an organisation based in the North West that supports people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities in improving their health and well-being. They’re experts in engaging the community and have a strong background in sexual health promotion, HIV prevention and cancer awareness. The campaign includes a podcast which can be accessed via the BHA for Equality website. Click here to see the campaign. 

A partnership with George House Trust to raise awareness of anal cancer symptoms among men who have sex with men (MSM). George House Trust is a leading HIV charity in the UK, with a long history of supporting people living with HIV across the North West. They are committed to tackling stigma and empowering people to make informed decisions about their health. For more on the campaign, click here. For more information about George House Trust, visit: www.ght.org.uk 

You can find out more about information about anal cancer, its symptoms, and why it is particularly relevant for people living with HIV on the CMCA Anal Cancer webpage. 

Awards

Highly commended in the Initiative With Impact category of the annual national Black Professionals in Life Sciences (BPLS) Inspire Awards. 

Finalist in Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Communiqué Awards. 

Head and neck cancer causes around 4,000 deaths each year in the UK, and more than two in three people diagnosed are men. These cancers are often found late when outcomes can be poorer. Our Give a T.O.S campaign was created to encourage earlier detection, focusing on men aged 40 and over who may be at higher risk due to smoking or alcohol use and communities where risk and late diagnosis are higher. 

At the heart of the campaign is HANC, a bold and memorable character designed to catch attention. HANC introduces a quick, simple monthly self‑check using three easy steps: Touch, Open Wide, Speak (T.O.S). The message is clear and achievable, 60 seconds, 3 steps, once a month, helping men build a regular habit and reminding them to contact their GP practice if they notice anything unusual. 

To make the self‑check as accessible as possible, we created a digital self‑check tool. Each printed item features a QR code, which can be scanned using a smartphone and takes people directly to an online tool. The tool guides users step‑by‑step through the T.O.S check, prompting them clearly and allowing them to follow along by seeing themselves on screen, making the check easier to complete and more engaging. 

 To take the message beyond online channels and into everyday places, we created and distributed practical campaign materials designed for “in the moment” prompts. This included coasters for pubs and cafés, mirror stickers (so the check is front of mind at home or in venues), and air fresheners for taxis, helping the reminder reach people while they’re out and about. 

Delivery has been supported through close collaboration with colleagues across the Alliance and with local VCSE and community partners, enabling trusted, local engagement in Birkenhead and Kirkby. This community‑led approach helps ensure the campaign reaches people through familiar places and organisations, supporting conversations about early action and cancer awareness. 

See the campaign on our Give A T.O.S. page.  

Conversations happen everywhere, every day with people having on average 27 conversations a day. With so few of those conversations being about early detection and diagnosis of cancer. Our vision was to encourage and normalise conversations in day-to-day settings from the pub, cafés, to the sofa or the park with friends and family.  

Harnessing the power of TV cult classic Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (created in Runcorn), with the comedy and relatability of the show to our target audience. Our campaign was brought to life with the support of local writer Susan Nickson the creator of sitcom, alongside some of the cast from the show in our campaign film.  

As well as using some of the cast from the show it was important to continue the conversations and show Halton residents at the heart of the campaign fostering a level of civic pride by using local residents in the campaign films alongside Will Mellor & Ralf Little.   

We developed a wide range of campaign activity and materials, including both scripted and unscripted videos, a campaign launch event with an information session for community ambassadors, and a comprehensive “campaign‑in‑a‑box” toolkit. This toolkit included table toppers, stickers, posters, coasters, talking‑point cards, social media templates, and short‑form digital films to support consistent delivery of campaign messages across online and community settings 

 You can access the toolkit here: 

CMCA - Toolkit - Final.pdf 

 See the campaign on the Two Minutes of Chat page.  

Awards

Winner of Prolific North Marketing Awards 2025 Best Health Campaign and Best Not-for-Profit Campaign (Purpose Driven).

Winner of Comms2Point0 Unawards 2025 Best Work by an Agency. 

Winner of Prolific North Creative Awards 2026 Best Healthcare Campaign. 

This campaign aims to increase screening uptake across Cheshire and Merseyside by focusing on a key finding that people were not engaging in bowel screening because they didn’t know how to. The tagline ‘Tiny bit of poo’ highlights that only a small sample is needed.

Campaign resources including posters, an information leaflets, a digital advertising campaign and information for GP waiting room screens all direct people to dedicated information on the website which explains more about bowel screening including a video about how to do the test.

See the campaign here on the Tiny Bit of Poo webpage.

Campaign resources are available for you to use. Find them on the Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Academy website.

Awards

Shortlisted in the 2026 Prolific North Creative Awards in the Creative for Good category. 

Be Breast Savvy was a roadshow of science, media and art delivering information about the importance of breast screening. 

Hundreds of people attended the BeBreastSavvy events across north Liverpool, where communities were given information about why breast checks are vital to health.  

The events gave information about breast screening and rebooked you a test if you have missed your last mammogram appointment. The events were a riot of fun and have even led to a song being created. 

You can watch the music video Time is Precious via this link https://youtu.be/UHGaRRyNynI 

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in the North West, yet not everyone who is eligible takes up the offer of screening. In Merseyside, screening participation is currently lower than the national average, with common barriers including fear, uncertainty and reluctance to complete the test. 

To address this, an integrated, insight‑led campaign was developed and launched across the North West. Featuring a celebrity spokesperson alongside a bowel cancer surgeon from the Countess of Chester, the campaign aimed to reduce fear around screening by using a nostalgic theme inspired by popular culture, including familiar memories, fashions and toys from past decades. 

 The campaign included: 

• A targeted digital campaign across the region 

• Match‑day advertising in local football programmes 

• Spotify playlists themed around key time periods to support organic social media engagement 

 You can see the campaign on the Northwest Cancer Research website. 

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage. Insight from North West Cancer Research found that one of the reasons of this is that symptoms can be mistaken for everyday changes or explained away. Many women may not realise that ongoing or unusual symptoms could be a sign of something more serious, which can delay seeking help. 

This campaign was designed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and to challenge common misconceptions, including the belief that it is a “silent” condition. Using the idea that our bodies communicate changes to us, the campaign encouraged women to listen to their bodies and take action. The creative approach used a conversational and relatable tone, including familiar local language, to help messages resonate and prompt women to contact their GP if symptoms persist.   

The campaign was delivered digitally across a range of platforms to reach women effectively and support earlier presentation. 

See the campaign on the Northwest Cancer Research website.