Content note: this page contains refrences to cancer and suicide.

Sharing any message with the public can be a challenge, especially if it is a topic people may want to avoid. Public health messaging can be sensitive and cover things people would rather not confront. Messages and campaigns can also get lost in the noise of day-to-day life. Organisations working together can often better share this message by reaching different audiences, or having resources that the other does not. 

Bowelbabe Fund

Among her many other achievements Dame Deborah James was a campaigner for people affected by cancer. Having been diagnosed with bowel cancer at 35, she decided to smash taboos around poo and raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer. In the last months of her life she set up the Bowelbabe fund to support awareness campaigns, cutting edge research into early detection, and personalised medicines.

Innovative Campaigning

One of innovative health awareness campaign has been getting bowel cancer symptoms printed on the packaging of toilet roll. As a result of the work of the Bowelbabe Fund, Tesco, M&S, Andrex and others now print the symptoms of bowel cancer on their toilet paper packaging. Millions of extra people will now see this information.

Our Answer

• What makes this campaign smart?

  This messaging is in an obvious place – the packaging of toilet paper. It is far reaching and means the person reading it will likely have privacy and space to read it. It is also a low-cost campaign as this packaging is already being made and printed so the addition of this content is a simple fix. This approach is also being used by Morrisons who have recently announced, in partnership with the NHS, that they will add cancer symptoms to the labels of their underwear. 

Network Rail, Samaritans, and the British Transport Police

Network Rail, Samaritans, and the British Transport Police have been working together since 2010 to prevent rail suicides. In 2017 they launched a joint campaign called ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ which encourages people to trust their gut instinct if things didn’t look right. Information about the campaign is included on the backs of train tickets, posters, and other channels. It has been created in collaboration with Public Health England, and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance as well as research from Middlesex University.

Information is provided on how to initiate a conversation with someone or raise your concerns with a member of rail staff. There has already been impact from this work:

“In 2020/21 there were 247 suicides/suspected suicides on the over ground rail network – a decrease of 36 from the previous year.

In recent years, the rail industry has made significant strides with its partners in preventing suicides on the railway, and despite this increase in suicides, we continue to see interventions, with rail employees, the Police and public intervening in more than 1,810 suicide attempts on the railway in 2020/21.”

Both examples bring together multiple organisations who want to work together for a common aim. The wider the group the larger the potential impact. Collaborative work can be essential in sharing health messages.

Think about a healthcare message that matters to you and who you may want to communicate that message with. How would you go about this? Who would you want to involve? Use our action planning template below to create your own campaign.

Change in Action

Showing that you care about driving positive change is key to any successful healthcare application or interview. Share your thoughts on this issue and have a go at planning out how you would put change in action. 

Change in Action: Tips

• Imagine your target audience

  How old are they? Where do they live? What are their interests? 

• Be specific

  It's okay that you can't say everything! What is the specific message you want to communicate? 

• Think - how do you like to learn new information?

  Reading? Listening? Does it need to be visually appealing? online or in-person?