We are incredibly proud to announce that Northern Cancer Voices has been awarded £88,000 from National Lottery Community Grants to deliver our new project, The Power of Us: Community‑Led Cancer Support, a new initiative focused on tackling cancer inequalities across Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
This year‑long project is rooted in one simple but powerful belief: lived experience must be at the heart of cancer care and support. With this funding, we will work alongside communities in Sunderland and Middlesbrough to amplify voices that are too often unheard, helping to improve cancer pathways and reduce persistent health inequalities.
Putting lived experience first
The Power of Us will harness the insight, strength and expertise of people affected by cancer to create meaningful change locally. The project will focus on communities most impacted by deprivation, ethnicity‑related inequalities, and systemic barriers, ensuring that support is shaped with people, not for them.
Over the next year, the project will focus on:
- Increasing awareness of cancer symptoms
- Improving screening awareness and uptake
- Building confidence in navigating cancer pathways
- Strengthening representation of ethnically diverse voices
- Training and supporting Community Cancer Champions
By embedding lived experience at every stage, the project will not only support individuals and communities directly, but also influence wider systems of care.
Learning that drives change
The learning from The Power of Us will play a vital role in shaping Northern Cancer Voices’ future delivery and strategy. Insights gathered will be shared with our NHS partners, VCSE networks and community organisations, strengthening collaborative working and building a stronger evidence base to support advocacy, sustainability and long‑term impact.
A vision years in the making
This project represents the next step in a journey that began in 2019, driven by a deep commitment to lived experience leadership within cancer care.
Tori, CEO of Northern Cancer Voices, said:
“This funding is incredibly meaningful. Since 2019, I’ve been passionate about creating spaces where lived experience doesn’t just have a seat at the table, but truly leads. People affected by cancer hold knowledge that can transform systems when it’s listened to and valued. The Power of Us is about recognising that strength, trusting communities, and building change together. We’re incredibly proud to see this vision come to life.”
Lorna, Director of Operations and Delivery, added:
“We are delighted to receive this support from the National Lottery Community Grants team. It represents real confidence in who we are, how we work, and the value of community‑led approaches. Patient voice isn’t an add‑on, it has to be front and centre of cancer care and support. This grant reflects a shared belief that systems work best when they are built with people, not for them.”
Delivering the 10‑Year Cancer Plan in real time
The Power of Us directly supports the ambitions set out in the 10 Year Cancer Plan released in February, particularly around early diagnosis, reducing health inequalities, improving screening uptake, and embedding lived experience and community partnership within cancer pathways.
By working at a grassroots level in Sunderland and Middlesbrough, this project brings national priorities to life locally, delivering the plan in real time through community-led engagement, trusted relationships, and insight shaped by those most affected.
It demonstrates how meaningful system change happens when policy is translated into practice alongside communities.
Thank you to National Lottery players
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to National Lottery players, whose support makes projects like The Power of Us possible. This investment enables us to stand alongside communities, challenge inequalities, and ensure that lived experiences shape the future of cancer care across the North East and beyond.
We look forward to sharing updates as the project develops and to working with our partners and communities to turn the power of lived experience into lasting change.
Get involved – stronger together
We warmly invite community networks, VCSE organisations, NHS partners, and local stakeholders to get in touch if you would like to be involved in The Power of Us. Whether through collaboration, insight‑sharing, or community engagement, we are stronger together, and real change happens when we work collectively to centre lived experience and reduce cancer inequalities.