Macmillan Cancer Support has awarded The Leanne Pero Foundation a grant to support the sustainability of the charity and its staff for the next 12 months.
This will allow The Leanne Pero Foundation to continue to expand their current projects (Black Women Rising, Black Girl Rising, Black Men Rising) as well as launch new and exciting projects to further support the black community.
For The Leanne Pero Foundation, it is important to build a picture of the overall patient experience for black people with cancer and bring about change by reaching the right people and influencing the system. The Foundation also works in conjunction with mainstream cancer support charities and brands to ensure that the experiences of people with cancer are being heard.
“It makes me beam with pride to see The Leanne Pero Foundation partner with Macmillan. Both organisations gave me invaluable support during my cancer journey and this partnership will further highlight that collaboration under the same goals and values will equal better outcomes for people of colour diagnosed with cancer” Sharon Green (Black Women Rising Service User and Trustee)
“Macmillan has been a friend of The Leanne Pero Foundation for some time now. We have been working with them on their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. They have realised the importance of working with small grassroots charities, which is something we are very proud and grateful to be a part of.” Leanne Pero, founder of The Leanne Pero Foundation
“Before the pandemic, Macmillan published a report called “Mind the Gap: Cancer Inequalities in London” so we know that black people have poorer cancer care experiences. The pandemic only exacerbated the situation. Macmillan Cancer Support has been looking for ways to support those communities and at the same time influence system change. It is a privilege to be able to do our small part and work with Leanne Pero and the amazing work they do through the Foundation, Black Women Rising and their other projects.” Lee Trappitt, Macmillan Engagement Manager
Black History Month
October is Black History Month in the UK which is always a beautiful time to highlight and celebrate the achievements of black people and how far they have come. It’s also a time where we can unapologetically challenge racial perceptions and continual injustice that they have to face on a day to day basis through healthy conversations about their lived experiences.
This speaks to one of the core principles of The Leanne Pero Foundation…awareness. They want to amplify the voices of their members so that their lived experiences can be heard and in turn help raise awareness within the Black community. We know only too well how vital this is. It ultimately saves lives.
October can be a very loud month in both the cancer and Black community. We need to make sure that the “noise” we add is as far reaching as possible.
