Durham Freemasons and NHS Join Forces to Raise Awareness of Bowel Cancer Screening
Where is yours?
It is a simple question, but one that Durham Freemasons will be asking across the Province as part of an important new bowel cancer screening awareness campaign with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
Where is your campaign poster displayed? Where is your screening kit? And, most importantly, if you received one, what did you do with it?
The joint campaign was first announced by John Watts, Head of Durham Freemasons, at the Provincial Annual Meeting in July and is now beginning to roll out across the Province.
Leading the initiative is Dr Ian Russell, who has John’s full support in developing and driving the programme forward. Ian is working closely with Kelvin Reed, Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Manager at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. Both Ian and Kelvin are Freemasons, giving the partnership a particularly strong connection between the Province and the NHS screening programme.
As the first major step in the campaign, bowel cancer screening awareness posters have now been sent to every Masonic Hall across the Province.
So our first question is:
Where is yours?
We want every Hall to display its poster prominently, where it can be seen by Freemasons, partners, families, visitors, community organisations and everyone else using our buildings.
John Watts said:
“Freemasonry has always been about much more than what happens inside our Lodge rooms. We are part of our communities and, when we can use the strength and reach of our organisation to support such an important health message, we should do so.
“I am delighted that Durham Freemasons are working alongside County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust on this initiative. Ian has my full support in driving the campaign forward and I hope every Lodge, Chapter and Masonic Hall will get behind it.
“So I am asking our members: where is yours? Where is your poster displayed and what are you doing to help us spread the message?”
Where is your screening kit?
Bowel cancer remains one of the most common cancers in the UK, but screening provides an opportunity to identify changes before cancer develops and to detect cancers at an earlier stage, when treatment is often more successful.
For those invited to participate, the screening process involves a simple home test known as a FIT kit.
Dr Ian Russell said:
“The real strength of this partnership is our ability to take an important health message into trusted networks of members, families and friends.
“Conversations about health often start with somebody we know and trust. If our campaign encourages one of our members to complete their kit, or prompts them to speak to a partner, relative or friend who has put theirs to one side, we could make a genuine difference.
“So ask yourself: have you been screened? If you received a screening kit, where is yours and what did you do with it?”
Four questions. One important message.
As the campaign develops, we want members, Lodges, Chapters and Halls across the Province to keep asking four questions:
Where is yours?
What are you doing to support the campaign?
Have you been screened?
What did you do with your screening kit?
Kelvin Reed said:
“Bowel cancer screening gives us an opportunity to identify changes at an early stage, often before someone has any symptoms. Completing and returning the screening kit when it arrives is therefore one of the most important things people can do.
“As a Freemason myself, I know the strength of the friendships, families and community connections that exist across the Province. Combining that network with the NHS screening programme gives us a valuable opportunity to reach people in a very direct and trusted way.
“Where is yours? If your screening kit is still sitting somewhere at home, find it, complete it and return it. It is a small action that could make a very big difference.”
Kelvin Reed, Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Manager, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Show us where yours is
We want Lodges, Chapters and Masonic Halls to get involved.
Take a photograph showing where your campaign poster is displayed and share it with us. Tell us what you are doing to support the campaign and encourage members to start conversations with their families and friends.
The poster is only the beginning.
Where is yours?
If it is your poster, put it somewhere people will see it.
If it is your screening kit, complete it and send it back.
One question. Two actions. One potentially life-saving message.
