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Cancer Research UK
Ambassadors at Parliament Day 2022

Your August Ambassador Update

Dear Ambassador,

Welcome to your August update.

It's been another busy month for campaigners! Since launching our new SmokefreeUK campaign, more of you have been meeting your MPs and we’ve loved seeing the Smokefree MP actions coming in. Together, we will beat the biggest preventable cause of cancer by stopping the start and starting the stop.

Keep scrolling for updates from the campaigning community. You’ll find all sorts to sign up for, including volunteering opportunities, socials, policy webinars and more!

Thanks for your continued support,

Signature - Amelia

Amelia and the Cancer Research UK Campaigns Team

 
 

Your Campaign Action 📣

Contact your MP and invite them to meet with you in your constituency to discuss the SmokefreeUK campaign. Make sure to ask them to pledge to become a Smokefree MP and reach out to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

 

Deadline: 2 September Time To Act: 20 – 30 minute meeting plus time to prepare
Skills: Relationship building, influencing, storytelling

 

You can meet them after the deadline, but make sure you’ve been in touch with their office to get a slot in their calendar. If you met your MP already, it's time to follow up. For all you need to prepare for your meeting, your Smokefree toolkit is a one-stop shop.

Your official SmokefreeUK toolkit
 

News and Updates

XXXX

Volunteer Impact Assessment

Understanding Volunteer Impact

Our volunteers told us in a recent survey that they want to understand the impact they have. As an organisation, we need to learn more about the different things volunteers, like you, do to support our work.

So we're asking you to tell us a little about yourself and the volunteering you do with us.

We are inviting you to take part in a short informal chat with a member of staff which will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Register your interest here
 
 
Campaigns Ambassador Map
 

Ask the Health Minister

In Wales, the Health and Social Care Committee will be discussing issues across health and social care with the Minister for Health and Social Services on 15 September - and they asked the Welsh people what they want to know.

Campaigns Ambassadors in Wales have been asking their questions about cancer and health policy, including the new Tobacco Control Strategy.

[This was an optional campaign action for Ambassadors in Wales]

Tune in to see which questions get asked
Meeting
 

The Aberdeen Fringe

At the SNP Party Conference this autumn, we'll be hosting a joint fringe event with Macmillan Cancer Support. The event will focus on the new Scottish Cancer Strategy.

Taking place from 12:30 on Monday 10 October, will your MSPs be there?

If you're in Scotland, we're finalising plans so there's nothing to do right now but we'll be in touch soon with more details and about how you can get in touch with your SNP MSPs to ask them to attend.

[This will be a core campaign action for Ambassadors in Scotland]

 
Man receiving diagnosis
 

Awareness of Early Diagnosis

An advertising campaign will launch in Northern Ireland on 1 September to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis. Cancer Research UK won funding from the Department of Health to run the campaign over two years - the first burst of activity will run from 1 - 16 September.

Similar to a campaign in Wales recently, the ads are aimed at people over 50 with vague but worrying symptoms, urging them to go and see their GP if they have noticed a change which is unusual for them. You'll be able to see the ads on TV, in newspapers and around you while you're out and about.

If you're in Northern Ireland, be sure to get in touch with your MLAs to let them know and ask them to show their support on social media.

[This is an optional campaign action for Ambassadors in NI]

England Updates
 

Cancer Won't Wait

Early diagnosis saves lives. Getting cancer diagnosed at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful, can make a real difference.

In England, NHS targets for Cancer Waiting Times state that at least 85% of patients start their first treatment for cancer within 62-days of an urgent GP referral.

In June 2022 however, the NHS reported a record low performance on Cancer Waiting Times. Only 59.9% of people started treatment for cancer within 62-days of an urgent referral, meaning around 5,700 people who started treatment in June waited longer than 62-days to start cancer treatment.

Behind the scenes, Cancer Research UK's Policy and Public Affairs teams are still working to influence change at all levels.

[There is no current campaign action for Ambassadors in England]

 
 

It's Party Time...

Our Public Affairs team will be in Liverpool for Labour’s annual party conference from 24 September, before heading down to Birmingham for the Conservative party conference a week later on 2 October.

You might notice your fellow campaigners talking about sending invites to their MPs. As a charity, we're always conscious of how we spend the money that our supporters very generously donate and raise through activities. Due to the cost and staff resource involved, we have to prioritise the conferences that will have the most impact politically however, we do endeavour to meet key politicians from other political parties around conference season to ensure all the major parties hear our important messages on cancer.

 
 

Upcoming events


 
05
Sep
 

New Prime Minister announced

 

Who will be the UK's next Prime Minister? Liz Truss MP or Rishi Sunak MP? Very soon, we'll know the answer.

05 September 2022


 
21
Sep
 

Policy Presents: Policy Positions and the PM

 

On Wednesday 21 September, join us over lunch at 1pm to find out what the new Conservative leader and UK Prime Minister might mean for Cancer Research UK's policy priorities and campaigning.

21 September 2022


 
27
Sep
 

Campaigns Ambassador drop-in

 

Join our next informal drop-in session to chat to your fellow campaigners, ask your burning questions and get peer support.

27 September 2022


 
28
Sep
 

Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation & Hope

 

This world-first, object-rich exhibition reveals the past, present and future of how cancer is prevented, detected and treated. Join the Campaigns Team on 28 September for a special day out.

28 September 2022


Join our next Ambassador drop-in