News

27 November 2025

Being recognised as finalists for our awareness-raising roadshow...

We were really proud that one of our recent awareness-raising projects made it to the final of the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards this week. 

The ‘This Van Can’ campaign, which we worked on earlier in the year alongside the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, the NHS and Target Ovarian, was recognised on the shortlist for the special awards in the Collaborative Communications Initiative of the Year category. 

If you missed it, ‘This Van Can’ was a special roadshow which hit local streets during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2025 to help spread the word about the symptoms and the importance of seeing your GP if you experience them. 

The roadshow toured thirty different locations across all boroughs of Greater Manchester over a six-week period, providing symptom information, videos, leaflets, posters, interactive activities, digital screens in local communities and much more.   

Packs and information leaflets were also provided to GPs for use in their surgeries and beyond and the activity was complemented by a comprehensive, far-reaching social media campaign. 

The ‘This Van Can’ vehicle featured a photograph of our friend Dianne Oxberry on the side, along with other women from Greater Manchester connected to ovarian cancer.  

This included our trustee, Charlotte Badescu, 34, a Greater Manchester GP who had ovarian cancer aged 31; Hilary Morrison, 64, who has been treated for ovarian cancer and is now in remission; and Dr Nadia Ali-Ross, a clinical lead for gynaecological cancers with the GM Cancer Alliance. 

Thousands of people came to see the team on the van, with many more interacting and sharing on social media – posts for the campaign reached more than a million people.   

There were 27 pieces of media coverage across radio, TV, print and online, and an additional 5,000 spread the word leaflets and 3,000 symptoms diaries provided to local people. 

Most importantly, 84 per cent of people who visited the van took part in a short survey and said that after taking part they were very likely to contact their GP should they notice any symptoms.  According to the results, knowledge about ovarian cancer went from 2.6/10 before visiting the roadshow to 9.8/10 afterwards. 

Jo Rosenberg, our chair of trustees, said: “Our charity exists to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and we have a bold ambition for a future where no-one in the North West dies from it.  As a really small organisation we can only do that by being out there in the local community and by collaborating with others too. 

“We’re so thrilled that the project made the finals of these prestigious awards alongside some amazing NHS and wider health sector talent.   

“This recognition has hopefully helped to further shine a spotlight on the importance of raising awareness about the often difficult to spot symptoms that come with ovarian cancer.   

“Thanks so much to the NHS and GM Cancer Alliance team as well as our partners from Target Ovarian.  It was a real pleasure to join together for this project.  The feedback we received from people coming along to the van was incredible.  We’ve seen more and more people coming to our website for information on the signs and symptoms to look out for as a result – and, most importantly, it is hopefully helping save even more lives in our region too.”