Press release: Tesco stores pledge to 'Be Cancer Safe'

Tesco stores across South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire are supporting their colleagues and customers to Be Cancer SAFE by signing up to be cancer champions.

Be Cancer SAFE is a social movement in cancer awareness, coordinated by South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire Cancer Alliance and delivered by voluntary sector and health organisations across the region.  Be Cancer SAFE Project Workers are recruiting cancer champions who will help spread cancer awareness messages with their friends, family and colleagues.

Cancer champions are members of the local community who pledge to have a conversation with their family, friends and colleagues about the signs and symptoms of cancer, encouraging a visit to their GP if they’re worried.  They will also support others to take up the opportunity to be screened, as well as attending themselves.

Supermarket chain, Tesco have invited Be Cancer SAFE Project Workers to their stores in South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire to talk to customers and are giving their colleagues time to sign up to be cancer champions.

Alison Thorp, Be Cancer SAFE Coordinator, said: “We are really excited to have Tesco supporting us to share the Be Cancer SAFE messages.  The Tesco Community Champions in each store have been fantastic in helping us to engage with their customers and colleagues, they do as much as they can to help our visits to be successful.  It’s been great to meet so many enthusiastic people who have pledged to be cancer champions.

“Our project workers have already been in to Tesco stores in Clay Cross, Rotherham town centre, Wath-Upon-Dearne, Stairfoot and Hoyland where we have held stands in customer areas and had the opportunity to speak with colleagues too, creating 440 champions to date through Tesco alone. We will be visiting other stores across South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire in the coming months – follow your local #becancersafe team on Twitter and Facebook for dates and times we will be in a store near you.”

The Be Cancer SAFE team visited the Wath-Upon-Dearne store in June when colleagues were given the opportunity to take time away from their work to find out more information and sign up to become cancer champions.

Rachel Fores, Store Manager at Tesco, said: “Cancer will unfortunately affect the lives of so many of our colleagues and customers so we were pleased to lend our support to Be Cancer Safe to help share cancer awareness messages across the region.”

For more information about Be Cancer SAFE and becoming a Cancer Champion please visit www.becancersafe-ND.org