Active Participation in Male Cancer Awareness in Prisons

As we prepare to enter the third year of our Active Participation in Male Cancer Awareness in Prisons programme, we are proud of the progress made in bringing life-saving information about prostate, testicular and penile cancer to people living and working within the prison estate.

Made possible through the generous support of the National Lottery Community Fund, the project has continued to break down barriers to cancer awareness by delivering educational workshops, training prison staff and peer health champions, providing tailored awareness resources, and working in partnership with prisons across England.

During the past two years, we have reached thousands of residents and staff, helping people to recognise the signs and symptoms of male-specific cancers, understand their personal risk, and seek medical advice at the earliest opportunity. The project has also strengthened partnerships across the criminal justice and healthcare sectors, ensuring that cancer awareness becomes an integral part of health promotion within prisons.

As we move into our third year, our focus is on expanding our reach, embedding sustainable awareness programmes, developing more prison health champions, and ensuring that the knowledge and resources created through the project continue to benefit prison communities long after the programme concludes.

We remain incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund and to every prison, healthcare team, resident, and partner organisation who has supported this journey. Together, we are helping to reduce health inequalities and ensuring that more men have access to the information they need to recognise symptoms early and seek timely medical care.  

Over the first two years of the programme, we have:

• Worked in partnership with 92 prisons across England.
• Delivered awareness sessions to thousands of residents and prison staff.
  • 51 HMP visits:
    • Reached 5 531 residents through awareness talks and information stands
    • Reached 191 Health staff
    • Reached 176 Prison staff
• Distributed bespoke educational bookmark resources to 55 prisons, reaching 43,832 residents.
• Supported the development of prison-based health champions to help sustain awareness beyond the life of the project. Orchid has trained 77 Champions across 11 HMPs in the last 2 years
• Built strong partnerships with prison healthcare providers, HM Prison and Probation Service, and wider criminal justice stakeholders to help reduce inequalities in male cancer awareness.