Stoke Newington Methodist Church Coffee Morning

Like many communities across the UK, Hackney experiences challenging health inequities. People in poorer or marginalised communities tend to have worse overall health than the average population.

For people with cancer, this inequity can lead to later diagnosis, significant variations in their access to healthcare, and discrimination in the healthcare system. Macmillan wants everyone to access the very best cancer care no matter where or who they are, or what their situation is.

Abena explains: “The majority of the community here is African and Caribbean. Going to the doctor is really important for everyone, but people often don't have the confidence to advocate for themselves. Whether that’s because of poverty, being scared to talk, or language barriers.

“People in the African Caribbean community often struggle with misdiagnosis. For example, medical literature for skin cancer symptoms often describes looking for redness, but for someone who has black skin this isn’t applicable.

“Sometimes people can feel fobbed off and don’t want to engage with healthcare services. But everyone here today knows someone who is affected by cancer.”

Breaking down those barriers is crucial to making sure everyone gets the cancer care they need.

"Ours is an older congregation who can struggle with everything going digital. Knowing how to book appointments online can be a big problem,” Abena says.

“We wanted to have a conversation about cancer in a more relatable way. It can be an uncomfortable conversation but if you can’t have it here over a cup of tea where can you have it? It’s people’s safe space to have the conversation they need to go and get checked.”

You may also be interested in: The Raising Your Voice toolkit is here to help everyone get equal cancer care as an NHS patient.

The activities at Stoke Newington Methodist Church’s Coffee Morning included a session from their own project The Listening Place. They provide regular drop-in sessions for vulnerable people who may feel isolated, impacted by cost of living, or who are experiencing mental ill health or cancer.

The Listening Place also provides a blood pressure check from volunteer retired nurses and talk to people about living healthily. The church also hosts the Caribbean Lunch Club, a regular event for people aged over 55 which combines Carribbean cuisine and gentle exercise.

The group’s first Coffee Morning was a dazzling display of classic British and Caribbean bakes. The event was such a success that they’ve already signed up to host an even bigger and better Coffee Morning in September.

For Abena there was a special motivation for taking part in Coffee Morning. “A friend of mine passed away from cancer when they were 26. I had my own cancer scare in my late 20s, and these experiences made me feel an extra connection to the work Macmillan does. I empathise with people who are going through treatment and feeling afraid.”

With every Coffee Morning that’s held, more people can help to begin a conversation that might one day save someone’s life. And with every pound raised for Coffee Morning, more people are being supported at a time when they need it most.