This Van Can with Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
Delivering healthcare where it’s needed most
This Van Can: Bringing cancer awareness and early diagnosis directly into communities
Developed in partnership with NHS Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, #ThisVanCan is a pioneering mobile outreach campaign designed to improve cancer awareness, reduce health inequalities and support earlier diagnosis across Greater Manchester.
Travelling across all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, the campaign brings healthcare conversations, education and screening directly into local communities - reaching people in places they already know and trust, including shopping centres, markets, sports venues and community hubs.
ThisVanCan helps remove barriers to care and encourages more people to recognise symptoms, access screening and seek support earlier.
Client testimonial
We know from speaking to men that some may have reservations about going to see their doctor and they’re a bit anxious about going to the hospital. In this situation, we’ve taken the message out into the community, so a mobile unit is invaluable.
Sotonye Tolofari
Consultant Surgeon and Clinical Director for Urological Cancer at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
Prostate Cancer Awareness
This Van Can: Supporting earlier diagnosis for men at higher risk
The original ThisVanCan programme focused on improving awareness and earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer - particularly among Black men over 45 and people with a family history of the disease.
Research shows that Black men are at significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer, yet many remain less likely to engage with screening conversations or seek support early.
ThisVanCan created safe, accessible spaces where people could speak openly with healthcare professionals, learn about symptoms and risk factors, and access PSA testing within their own communities.
By placing the unit in high-footfall community locations, the programme successfully engaged people who may not otherwise have accessed traditional healthcare services.
- 631 PSA tests delivered
- 50 urgent suspected cancer referrals generated
- High engagement and attendance rates across community locations
- Increased awareness around prostate cancer risk and symptoms
The success of the prostate cancer roadshow demonstrated the power of clinical units to improve access, build trust and encourage earlier intervention.
Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance's 'This Van Can' prostate cancer awareness
Client Testimonial
We could put adverts in newspapers, or we could put things online, or we could put things on the TV, but we're not sure that reaches everybody. We thought it'd be better if we reach out to people and kind of get in the way with our van and get that conversation going, rather than wait for people to come to us.
Dr Roger Prudham
Lead Cancer Clinician, Northern Cancer Alliance NHS Group
Bowel Cancer Awareness Programme
This Van Can: Encouraging conversations, awareness and earlier action
Following the success of the prostate cancer campaign, ThisVanCan expanded to support bowel cancer awareness across Greater Manchester.
The bowel cancer unit travelled throughout the region helping people better understand:
- the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer
- the importance of screening
- when to contact their GP
- how early diagnosis can improve outcomes
Interactive educational materials, experienced ambassadors and community engagement activities helped make information more accessible and easier to understand.
By bringing awareness directly into local communities, ThisVanCan helped encourage earlier conversations that could ultimately lead to earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes.
Raising awareness of bowel cancer in community settings
This van will be going to busy precincts and shopping centres, to bring symptoms awareness of ovarian cancer to the general public. We're hoping that we can improve earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer, we know that if we do that, we will save lives, and more people will have successful treatment for ovarian cancer.
Dr Charlotte Badescu
GP, ovarian cancer survivor and GP fellow in Early Diagnosis with Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign
This Van Can: Helping women recognise symptoms earlier
Delivered in partnership with Target Ovarian Cancer and the Dianne Oxberry Trust, the ovarian cancer roadshow focused on increasing awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms and improving confidence in seeking medical advice.
Often referred to as a “silent cancer”, ovarian cancer symptoms can be difficult to recognise and are frequently mistaken for less serious conditions.
The campaign aimed to change this by helping women better understand symptoms, risk factors and the importance of speaking to a healthcare professional if something doesn’t feel right.
- 8,000+ people engaged during the campaign
- Increased public awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms
- Improved confidence in contacting GPs and discussing testing
- Strong collaboration between NHS organisations, charities and community partners
