Our volunteers were invited to have a stand at the enormous University of Lincoln Fresher’s Fayre this month, and my word, they had a busy day! Here’s an update from volunteer Lorraine about hers and Murray’s day:
“Having arrived nice and early, and set up, we were ready for the start at 10.00am.
It was a very busy day. Murray was very good at engaging the students in conversation. Being very well travelled he spoke to a lot of the foreign students about their homelands and was interested in their courses etc. We worked well as a team, Murray passing on the female students to me to talk about checking their breasts and about HPV injections and cervical cancer.
So busy were we the whole of the time, we survived on coffee and water during the day, not stopping for lunch! In all we spoke to approx. 383 people, mainly students plus some of the other stallholders. We gave out numerous leaflets and freebies, a lot of which we eventually ran out of. By the end of the day, after 6 hours, we were both exhausted but felt it was a very worthwhile day.
Stories from the day
- One male student told me he had a problem with one of his testicles when he was younger, which needed surgery to correct. He is now fully recovered but very aware of male cancers. I gave him a blue boxer leaflet.
- One second year male student admitted he both drank and smoked too much and should cut down. We gave him a blue boxer leaflet, together with a Drink less Alcohol and a Be a Non-Smoker leaflet and a smoking wheel leaflet. Also lung, mouth, gullet and oesophageal cancer leaflets.
- Another male student told us that both his parents had been treated for a skin melanoma. He was therefore very aware of sun protection and skin cancer. He took a Fun in the Sun/Mole leaflet plus a blue boxer leaflet.
- One first year girl student I spoke to told me her mother had recently had a lump in her breast removed. Fortunately it was found to be benign but her family had been very worried. She took a Breast Awareness leaflet together with a Boobs and Balls leaflet plus HPV and cervical cancer leaflets.
- Another student told me that her father-in-law had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. She took a leaflet on prostate cancer plus an EPOC details and a Macmillan information leaflet for him.
- We spoke to quite a few biology students who were interested in taking some of our leaflets. One of these students had four friends who had had different types of cancer, so he was very aware of cancer and he took several leaflets.
- A student nurse took a selection of leaflets for herself and her friends.
- I had spoken earlier to a couple manning the Carers First stand and asked them if I could have some of their leaflets at the end of the event. Towards the end of the day the man gave me some of their leaflets and took a selection of our leaflets to pass on to some of the carers.
- Again, at the end of the event, a man from the Help for Heroes stand also took some of our male cancer leaflets, including a good supply of the blue boxer leaflets”
Incredible work Lorraine and Murray! Thank you for all of your hard work.
