Eleanor Jones, Macmillan Community Innovation Manager at WCVA, outlines the importance of our new joint project and the reason she took on the role.
BACKGROUND
I am an only child, brought up in the valley’s community of Ystrad Mynach. I was devastated when my dad passed away in 2001 and this brought my mother (Shown in the photo above) and I even closer together.
When in February 2004 she found out she had endometrial cancer, we were determined to fight it. On 11 March she went into the Heath Hospital for a hysterectomy and sadly it was found that the cancer had progressed to other organs, which led to her entering Velindre for palliative care.
HAPPY MEMORIES AT THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME
During this time Mam came with me to buy my wedding dress and my now husband and I even got engaged in the family room of Velindre with my mother present. Memories that can never be forgotten. Those memories stem from one person, a wonderful Macmillan Nurse in Velindre by the name of Michelle Pengelly.
I doubt if Michelle ever realised what an impact she had on my life, but she gave me something I could never have thought possible, happy memories at the most difficult time ever. My Mam came home at the end of April and died in my arms on 13 May 2004, three months after diagnosis.
MY NEW ROLE
During 2023 WCVA commenced a huge re-structure, and a new role became available, the aim of which is to improve equity of access to cancer information and support services. Something which I am truly passionate about. I got the job and am now actively engaged in meeting people and hopefully leading to changes which will enable them to have access to the information they need at the time they need it.
THE PROJECT
Macmillan Cancer Support offer a huge range of cancer information and support services but not all members of the community are accessing the provision. My role is to find out why. What barriers exist? What are the solutions? The work focusses specifically around protected characteristics or people who may have other barriers preventing access to the information which is available.
Getting the right support at the right time is vital for people with cancer and their families. This project aims to help everyone with cancer to access the information and support services they need, when they need them most.
The project is funded until January 2025 and at the moment I am out and about in the community meeting people and finding out their suggestions for improvement.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you would like to have your say, I would love to hear from you. You can email me on ejones@wcva.cymru ring me on 02920 436 597 or fill in this questionnaire:
Find out more about the Macmillan community innovation project.
