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Olubukola Ayodele: Empowering Black Communities in Leicester to Conquer Breast Cancer

Olubukola Ayodele/LinkedIn

Jun 29, 2025, 11:05

Olubukola Ayodele: Empowering Black Communities in Leicester to Conquer Breast Cancer

Olubukola Ayodele, Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared on LinkedIn:

“Black communities are not hard to reach, they are just too often overlooked.

On Wednesday, we held a Cancer Conversations event in Leicester with a spotlight on breast cancer and the response was overwhelming. The hall was full. People came with questions, with lived experiences, with a hunger for knowledge and they engaged. Deeply. Openly. Honestly.

This session wasn’t just another tick-box awareness event. It was an action call.

I shared, through open dialogue, what breast cancer is, the signs and symptoms, the myths we need to leave behind, the stages of disease, the impact of chronic stress and the critical importance of early detection and self-advocacy. We explored how to become champions taking this life-saving information back into our families, faith spaces, barbershops, saloons, WhatsApp groups and neighbourhoods.

We also brainstormed how to reach the parts of Leicester where silence, stigma and access barriers are still costing lives. We spoke about research, representation and reclaiming our voices in a system that too often doesn’t see us.

And here’s the truth: this kind of engagement works. But we can’t do it alone. We need systemic change. That means:

Policy-makers stepping up to fund and prioritise culturally tailored outreach.

Institutions embedding equity into cancer pathways, not as an afterthought but as a core strategy.

Funders investing in grassroots-led models that already have trust and traction.

This isn’t just about improving awareness. It’s about rebuilding trust in a system that has historically failed Black communities. It’s about rewriting the story so our daughters, sisters, and mothers live longer and live well. I’m grateful for the impact this session had and proud to be doing this work. But I also know it’s just a fraction of what’s needed. My mission is clear: to disrupt the status quo and push for real, sustainable change.

To anyone in a position of influence, we need you at the table. Let’s expand this work, amplify these voices and close the gap once and for all. It’s time to move beyond talking about health inequalities: We must act.

Thank you to Tamara Kahn, Dr Oladejo Olaleye, the Highfield Rangers Football Club PPI team for all their efforts towards making an impactful change. Thank you to our panelists, Bishop John Jackson (New Testament church of God) , Adeola Obadan (patient advocate), Hashim Duale MBE (representing the Somali community), Dr Annette Durant (GP and NHS England Core 20 plus5 ambassador) and Hannah Swift (Macmillan Cancer Support Breast Care Nurse). Thank you to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and CEHR The Centre for Ethnic Health Research team for the support.”