The CHAD seminar held on Wednesday 20th September 2017 focused on the independent evaluation of The Beth Johnson Foundation’s Cancer Lifestyle Project in North Staffordshire. The seminar was well attended by representatives from the Council, Clinical Commissioning Group and charity organisations, in addition to University staff.
Alice Sharp, Project Coordinator at Beth Johnson Foundation (BJF) and Matilda Hanjari, Research Associate at CHAD, were our speakers. Alice presented the background of the project and her own reflections and experiences of delivering it. Matilda presented the findings of the evaluation, focussing mainly on clients’ experiences. The evaluation focussed on the project outcomes and processes to provide an independent assessment of the impact of the North Staffordshire Cancer Lifestyle Project and recommendations for future practice/delivery. The full report is now available on our website and can be downloaded here. Thank you to the Beth Johnson Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support for funding the evaluation.
We used mixed methods to evaluate the impact of the Cancer Lifestyle Project. Quantitative data was collected routinely by the project lead at BJF using validated questionnaires and the CHAD researchers conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with 10 clients and 4 providers.
The presentation highlighted the key findings and recommendations from the report. These included the need to adjust to a new normal, which was facilitated through the support and advice offered through the project; indications of improved health and quality of life; and recommendations around recruitment, emotional wellbeing and the role of volunteers.
“You do feel a little bit abandoned when you leave the hospital, which I wouldn’t have thought that would have been the case, but you do. When the treatment stops and the support isn’t there.”
“Because I have been doing this [Project] on a regular basis, I can do things better, I can walk for longer, I can exercise for longer, the garden is starting to look like a garden….”
Download the presentations:
Clients Experiences of BJF Cancer Lifestyle Project – Matilda Hanjari, Research Associate, CHAD.
North Staffordshire Cancer Lifestyle Service – A wellbeing service for those aged 50+ living with or after Cancer – Alice Sharp, Project Coordinator, Beth Johnson Foundation.
The full report is available to download here.
Check out our calendar of events for details of forthcoming seminars.
