We were delighted to attend the launch of the cancer screening mobile unit at Goodison Park, and it was a powerful reminder of what happens when anchor institutions step forward for their communities.
This mobile unit is more than a vehicle. It is a practical response to one of the biggest challenges in public health: access.
Across Central and North Liverpool, we know the data; lower screening uptake, later presentations, higher levels of deprivation, transport barriers, work commitments, cultural hesitations. All of these contribute to avoidable health inequalities and poorer outcomes.
Bringing screening directly into communities removes friction.
It makes early detection easier. And early detection saves lives.
Evidence consistently shows that placing mobile screening units in community settings increases uptake, particularly in areas where participation has historically been lower. Meeting people where they are physically and socially matters.
Everton in the Community and its partners have demonstrated what place-based leadership looks like. Using a trusted, familiar space like Goodison Park helps shift screening from something clinical and distant to something accessible and normalised.
It was encouraging to hear reflections and words of support from Anu Shrotri (Director of Breast Screening), Leanne Campbell, Aimee Sharma, Keith McCulloch, Michael Salla (Everton in the Community) and Shane Nott (Public Health, Liverpool City Council).
The shared message was clear: reducing health inequalities requires collaboration, visibility, and sustained commitment.
We were delighted to be invited to witness this work, particularly as we continue working with organisations across the city region on preventative health initiatives that support wider public health efforts. Prevention and early intervention are not side conversations- they are central to long-term community wellbeing.
This is what collective responsibility looks like.
When sport, public health, community organisations and local leadership align around prevention, we create environments where people are more likely to access support earlier, and outcomes change.
A strong step forward for Liverpool.
And a reminder that proximity, partnership and persistence matter.
