Who we are
Board of Directors
Jolanta Gore Booth
Jola’s association with patient advocacy begun when in 1996 she was appointed CEO of Colon Cancer Concern (now Bowel Cancer UK) prior to which she worked as a fundraiser at Trinity Hospice in the UK. Whilst at CCC Jola launched bowel Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM); she formed the Bowel Cancer Forum; participated in the UK Government’s Bowel Cancer Advisory board; sat on NICE’s Implementation Advisory Board achieving notable success on patient access to treatment.
In 2004 she launched and became the CEO of EuropaColon – the first pan European Not for Profit CRC patient advocacy organisation. Jola believed strongly in the importance of collaboration and creating Europe wide CRC communities. This grew to embrace 30 European countries and in 2018 expanded into Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE), to include all gastrointestinal cancers. Jola stood down from the Board in 2021 to pursue new challenges she continues to support DiCE in whatever way needed.
Over the years she launched many initiatives and projects; sat on numerous committees; made countless presentations across Europe and further; engaged with Commissioners, Health Ministers. However her primary focus was on behalf of CRC patients and the promotion and importance of primary and secondary prevention. She launched European Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (ECCAM in 2018.
2007 Jola set up Inflatable Body Organs to design and produce the first inflatable walk through Colon/Bowel to raise awareness on the Risks, Signs and Symptoms of CRC. She has also built an inflatable breast, brain and alimentary adventure. She is currently working on a new inflatable and roadshow to educate 8 to 11 year olds on what happens to food when it goes in your mouth and how it affects their health now and in the future.
2021 Jola took the decision to use and expand her skills and set up a new Not for Profit - Global Healthcare Projects. The aim is to campaign for equal access to good healthcare; address health inequalities and gaps in NCDs in disengaged communities; support Informal Carers and encourage young adults to become more aware of their Gut Health.
Charles Mills
Educated at Cambridge and Harvard Universities, Charles is a highly experienced communicator and brand strategist. He was Head of Marketing at the V&A Museum and then the Royal Horticultural Society before spending 10 years leading the digital and corporate communications division of the TV company, Twofour.
Here he worked on brand narratives and content for (among others) The British Heart Foundation, Number 10 Downing Street, GSK and the Ministry of Defence.
As CEO of the creative agency, Denhams Digital, he currently leads on major branding and content projects with (among others) AXA PPP Healthcare, Cambridge University, the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.
He was, until recently, a Trustee of the National Youth Agency.
Geoffrey Henning
Geoffrey began working in the NGO sector in 1985 when he co-founded CRUSAID, a national HIV fundraising charity, and was appointed Director in 1987. When he left 10 years later the charity had raised £11m for HIV related causes in the UK.
He joined Roche UK in 1998 to support the HIV and later the Hepatitis C teams and worked closely with patient groups in these areas for 5 years. He was then appointed Policy Manager for Oncology covering the extensive oncology portfolio. Once more he worked closely with the relevant patient groups until his departure 7 years later.
He joined EuropaColon in 2011, initially as Policy Director and then helped co-ordinate the emerging Digestive Cancers work programme as the NGO expands into the wider digestive cancer arena.
He now lives and works free-lance in Portugal.
Partners
Dr Rose Thompson
On the 14th June we lost an amazing woman……Dr Rose Thompson. A proud Jamaican Rose was passionate, caring, driven and totally committed to making a better life for her community. She was a multi-award winning campaigner whose vision was to contribute to ending or at least reducing cancer inequalities. There was nothing Rose would not do to help anyone who turned to her. We understand that she once appeared dressed as a toilet to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer. That was Rose!!!
She was a therapeutic radiographer for 26 years, founder of the CIC Social Enterprise BME Cancer communities and Founder/Director of the charity B’Me Against Cancer. Rose was also the author of 2 BME prostate cancer reports and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences from Nottingham Trent University. From 2003 to 2007 she was Black and Ethnic Minority cancer information specialist at Cancerbackup (now merged with Macmillan Cancer Support). She was honoured by Nottingham City council with a Goose Fair Award for “the city’s best” in recognition of the numerous cancer focused community initiatives she had led throughout her career. The list of all her amazing work is never ending.
Rose’s legacy will have a significant impact on cancer care especially for those who suffered inequalities in access to cancer care. She is greatly missed and to honour her achievements her husband and family continue her work to preserve the health and wellbeing of people in particular, but not exclusively from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and low-income communities living with or affected by cancer.
Expert Advisory Group
Professor Christian Von Wagner
Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Research in Early Diagnosis of Cancer at University College London. Expert in Health Literacy, Colorectal Cancer Screening, Decision Making, Socioeconomic inequalities
Dr. Pia Cox
Medical doctor with more than 20 years accumulated international experience working in different disease domains and healthcare settings.
Trained in surgery, HIV medicine and public health. Executive Director and previously co-Chair of All.Can Belgium and founder of All.Can Senegal. Long time advocate for patients and the underprivileged, and involved in different not for profit organizations, particularly in the domain of cancer.
Karen Emery-Downing
National Programme Manager – Bowel Cancer Screening, NHS England
Joanna Traynor
Diversity and culture change consultant to public institutions. Trained nurse and senior psychotherapist.
Shahida Hanif (RGN, RHV, RMW, BA MA)
Shahida Hanif is married and has 3 daughters and she started work for the NHS in 1988 and has since been a qualified nurse, midwife, health visitor, public health nurse, family planning nurse and a public health development manager. Within this time frame she was awarded the National Mary Seacole Award in 2004 and was invited to meet the Queen as a part of this award.
Shahida has led and supported many research projects looking at the needs of BME communities and is very experienced in working with and developing initiatives to help reduce inequalities and promote health in vulnerable communities. For the last 15 years Shahida has been the Health Promotion Specialist for the Lancashire cancer Bowel Screening.
She has attained a BA in Health Studies and an MA in Diversity and Equality in the workplace and has also a worked/qualified youth and community worker for over 20 years for Lancashire County Council. Over the last 25 years Shahida has worked with and been a Trustee for many voluntary and community groups in Lancashire.
Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Thompson is a co-founder, CEO and Service Development and Delivery Manager.
In 2009, he and his wife Rose established the former Community Interest Company which previously operated as BME Cancer communities (BMECC). However, in response to the growing need to provide culturally appropriate advocacy support and information services for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) cancer patients and carers, BMECC transitioned to a charity (CI0) in 2019.
He led the development and management of various important projects and services
including the Check Tings Out community clinic for prostate cancer risk assessment and recently on a Cancer Support Advocacy development project called “Hear for You”.
Lindsay leads a dynamic and innovative team, committed to delivering services for people, but not exclusively from global majority low-income communities living with or affected by cancer. Lindsay is passionate about addressing cancer inequalities and encouraging minoritised community members to participate in genomic medicine and clinical research.
His ethos is ‘Turning passion into action.’