Shoppers and community members are noticing a fresh, practical resource; Hive Cancer Support and The Rainbow Project in Derry have co-created a cancer screening leaflet shaped by LGBTQIA+ people to help tackle barriers to early detection and make healthcare feel safer and more inclusive.

Essential Takeaways

  • Community-led: The leaflet was co-designed over an eight-week programme with members of The Rainbow Project, ensuring lived experience shaped content.
  • Practical focus: It covers signs and symptoms, why early detection matters, and how to navigate screening services in a way that feels safer.
  • Accessible distribution: Copies are available from Hive Cancer Support, The Rainbow Project and local LGBTQ+ organisations and health venues.
  • Backed by experts: The project was funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and links with their wider resources for LGBTQ people affected by cancer.
  • Tone and design: Language and imagery were crafted to reduce fear and exclusion, with an emphasis on clear, non-judgemental guidance.

Why this leaflet matters now

There’s a quiet, practical power in seeing your own community reflected on a page, and that’s exactly what participants wanted. According to Hive Cancer Support, many LGBTQIA+ people still feel invisible or judged in healthcare settings, and that emotional weight can stop someone booking a screening. By hearing those stories and translating them into clear, supportive copy, the leaflet addresses both feelings and facts , it reassures while it informs.

How the community shaped the content

The Rainbow Project members took part in therapeutic and creative sessions across eight weeks, sharing real barriers like missed invitations, gendered language in clinics, and fears about discrimination. Those conversations didn’t just inform tone; they guided layout, which signposts where to get help and what to expect. Jade Fleming from The Rainbow Project said it was vital that the leaflet was “shaped by the community, for the community,” which is exactly the kind of bootstrapped design that tends to land with real people.

What’s in the leaflet , practical bits that matter

Expect plain-language explanations of common warning signs and why early detection improves outcomes, alongside step-by-step tips for booking and attending screening. There’s also advice on how to ask for inclusive care , for instance, how to request a clinician who uses your pronouns, or what to say if a routine invite doesn’t match your gender. For people who find clinical settings intimidating, these small scripts and pointers can be game-changing.

Where to get a copy and how to use it

The leaflet is being distributed through Hive Cancer Support, The Rainbow Project, local LGBTQ+ groups and healthcare providers across Derry. If you’re organising community outreach or a clinic, consider keeping a stack in reception or handing them out at events. Macmillan also offers broader LGBTQ-focused cancer support and information online, so this leaflet works as a local, community-flavoured companion to national resources.

Wider context and what this signals

Macmillan’s involvement and the Rainbow Project’s Cancer Champions work show this isn’t a one-off leaflet but part of a larger push to close gaps in cancer care for marginalised groups. Studies and guidance from national charities point to similar barriers across the UK, so locally rooted initiatives like this can act as models elsewhere. It’s encouraging to see co-creation used not as a buzzword but as a practical method to improve uptake and trust.

It’s a small change that can make every screening appointment feel a bit less daunting.

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