Update: Looking back on 2023

What has the team been up to this year?

It’s been a big year for us in the Voices team. We’ve been working hard to make sure that the voices of people affected by breast cancer are at the heart of everything we do at Breast Cancer Now. 

Sarah joined at the end of last year to make us a team of 2, and we joined the transformation, insight, impact and strategy department in August. This has centralised us in the organisation and demonstrates the vital importance of lived experience collaboration for transforming the work we do to achieve our vision for people affected by breast cancer.

We’ve supported over 40 different staff members this year to involve Breast Cancer Voices in their work. You’ve joined focus groups and specialist panels to develop and inform services, campaigns and policies; contributed to our NICE submissions; been part of our campaigns; reviewed our health information and guidance documents; and spoken at events and meetings.

You’ve also gotten involved in almost 70 external projects. These have included research studies and chances to inform research by giving feedback on the study design, or joining an advisory panel.

By taking part in these opportunities, you ensure that our work, as well as breast cancer research, policy and care, has the voice of lived experience at its centre. This means that our work will be more beneficial for people affected by breast cancer, and have a lasting impact.

And it’s not just us who think so. Here’s some feedback we’ve received over the past year about the difference you’ve made:

Michaela Rossmann, Here for You – an opportunity to shape its future! 

"The lived experience project group will be crucial in shaping Here for You’s strategic direction and make sure we’re responding to the needs of breast cancer patients."

Cassie Kingswell, Oncology conference presentation

"The contribution the Voices made to our presentation was invaluable. Their reflections on how individualised care, or the lack of it, made them feel spoke volumes to the professionals in the room, in a way us relaying stats and figures just couldn’t. I’m so grateful to them both for joining us for the day."

Researcher, Bone drugs to reduce risk of breast cancer spreading

"Voices gave life to our project. Their input was so important throughout the process from day one. They put all the efforts to make our project as successful as possible."

Researcher, Earlier breast cancer diagnosis in Scotland

"The public contributor’s input has substantially shaped the projects. She also has been involved as a co-author of the protocol paper that we aim to submit soon."

What else have we been doing?

Earlier this year, Susanna presented to the Board of Trustees on our work, telling them all about how Voices help us achieve our mission as an organisation, turn insight into meaningful change and push forward transformation. These conversations put us in a good position to bring lived experience insight and co-production into the process for developing our new Breast Cancer Now strategy for 2025.

Over the past few months, Susanna has also worked with a group of colleagues and Voices to develop our Theory of Change, which will help us understand how we can realise our vision for Voices, and how we can measure our progress. She’s also been supporting teams to include questions in job descriptions and interviews, working with HR to create resources for staff, including how to involve someone with lived experience on the interview panel.

What’s in store for 2024?

In the coming year, we want to continue to encourage you to get involved as much as you want to. We’ll be increasing our understanding of EDI best practice and developing our work and guidance in this area to make opportunities more accessible for everyone.

We’ll also be reviewing how we collect and share feedback about opportunities so you can know he difference you’re making to our work and wider breast cancer research and care.

And of course, we’ll be sharing lots of opportunities for you to get involved!

Thank you to all of you for everything you do, and we hope you have a lovely festive season.