Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has created awful challenges for cancer care.

Breast Cancer Now recently estimated that almost a million British women have missed a breast cancer screening appointment because of the pandemic. Cancer Research UK says the number of cancer treatment referrals drastically dropped by over 26% between April and July compared to the same period last year. And research recently published in The Lancet Oncology journal suggests there could be more than 3,500 avoidable cancer deaths in England in the next five years because of Covid-19.

“We obviously haven’t been able to do face-to-face stuff and we’ve had to go online,” Leanne explains about the impact on Black Women Rising. “A lot of people’s treatment stopped, and a lot of people have been suffering with extra anxiety and worry. Some charities have had to close their doors, especially with staff on furlough, but we’ve been at the forefront to support the work for people in our communities. We’ve responded to these new needs.”

Breast cancer: “Why I’m campaigning for more support for Black cancer patients and survivors”