Oral health champions walk and talk to raise awareness of mouth cancer
We are #KCHFTProud of oral health champion Joanne Downs, who joined fellow advocates in London on the only charity walk in the world to support mouth cancer.
Advanced Oral Health Practitioner, Joanne, took part in the 19th Mouth Cancer Charity Walk in Hyde Park to raise awareness about the early signs of the disease.
“The sun was shining and it was great to get involved by walking and talking with our healthcare partners and meeting people whose lives have been affected,” Joanne told us.
“We work together to support people living in London boroughs and communities across the south east year-round. To be able to connect at such a celebratory event for such a worthy cause championing oral health is a professional and personal highlight for us all.”
Members of our Oral Health Promotion Service complete the walk each year to reflect the oral health education, advice, information, training and dental services we provide in parts of the capital, as well as in Kent.
The 10 km city route celebrates survivors of mouth cancer, which affects around 650,000 people a year, worldwide. It also raises money to help the patients, carers and survivors who are living with it.
Pictured above left: Chief Dental Officer for England, Dr. Jason Wong MBE and president elect of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Jocelyn Harding – who Joanne met up with on the walk. Pictured below right: Jocelyn with #MouthCancerWalk mascot Duke.
Set up by Mouth Cancer Foundation, the annual walk launches a challenge where people can walk the same distance in their own community and add to the charity fund.
Check out www.mouthcancerwalk.org/ to get involved or donate.
Search #MouthCancerActionMonth to find out about being ‘mouthaware’.
