By Susan Donlon, Communications team, National Screening Service
Community Champions from across Ireland came together for our annual webinar on 27 May 2026, to share how they are supporting people in their communities to access screening services. The webinar highlighted the important role champions play in building trust, raising awareness and helping reduce barriers to screening for communities that can often be underserved or under-screened.
In her opening remarks, Lynn Swinburne, Equity Manager with the HSE National Screening Service (NSS), said that focusing on equity in screening is essential to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to benefit from early detection and prevention services, regardless of their background or circumstances. She highlighted that barriers such as language, literacy, stigma, access issues and lack of trust can affect participation in screening.
Supported by our health promotion team in the NSS, Lynn recognised the contribution of about 110 Community Champions working across the country, supporting interventions about screening in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the communities they work with.
Supporting communities through trusted relationships
Community Champions shared presentations about their work with different communities, including people living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), Roma communities, and women experiencing homelessness and addiction.
While the communities and settings were different, many of the same themes emerged:
- trust and relationship-building are essential
- practical support makes a difference
- the value of one-to-one conversations
- people are more likely to engage when information is simple, clear and culturally sensitive
- screening is often not a priority for people facing difficult life circumstances.
Working with International Protection Applicants and refugees
HSE Social Inclusion Community Champions Mohammad Shafiq and Adnan Ahmed spoke about their work supporting International Protection Applicants (IPAs), refugees and newly arrived communities across Galway and Roscommon.
Their work includes:
- one-to-one education and support
- helping people understand appointment letters and health information
- arranging appointments and transport
- interpretation and translation support
- outreach clinics and awareness sessions
- sharing information through videos, easy-read materials and print resources.
They explained that many people were unaware that screening programmes are free or did not understand why screening is important if they felt healthy.
They highlighted some of the challenges and barriers to screening within the communities they work with, including:
- language and literacy challenges
- fear and stigma around cancer
- religious and cultural beliefs and misinformation
- difficulty accessing GPs
- transport issues
- low digital literacy
- anxiety about results.
The champions said that practical support and culturally sensitive communication helped increase awareness, improve attendance at appointments and build confidence in accessing healthcare services.
One key learning they shared was that trust and practical support are essential in improving access to screening services for IPAs and refugees.
Reaching people through community connections
Northside Partnership Community Champion Dearbhail Butler shared how her team works across Darndale, Belcamp, Moatview and Priorswood through informal, relationship-based community engagement.
The team use:
- WhatsApp groups
- community events and fairs
- health information stands
- church newsletters
- one-to-one conversations
- posters and awareness materials.
Dearbhail explained that traditional information sessions often have low engagement and that many people are dealing with difficult home or community pressures, meaning preventative healthcare may not be a priority.
The team found that informal conversations worked better than formal sessions. People were more likely to ask questions through trusted relationships and that community engagement works best when it meets people where they are.
The team plans to continue linking screening messages with community events and awareness initiatives and said they would welcome more printed and visual resources to support their work.
Supporting the Roma community
Mireana Petrovici, a Roma Health Advocate with Ferns Diocesan Youth Service, spoke about her work supporting Roma communities in Co. Wexford.
Mireana works directly with men, women and children of all ages to raise awareness about general health and wellbeing including screening, supporting them to access services. She focuses on helping people feel informed, supported and confident in making decisions about their health.
Her work includes:
- one-to-one conversations
- advocacy and support
- health education
- social media awareness videos
- sharing printed information and easy-to-understand resources.
She explained that language barriers, cultural attitudes, fear, and misunderstanding about screening can prevent people from attending.
She highlighted the importance of:
- culturally sensitive communication
- stronger community outreach
- positive experiences during screening appointments
- accessible language support.
Supporting women experiencing homelessness and addiction
Angela King, Health Promotion and Improvement Officer at HSE, shared work carried out with women attending Jane’s Place, an all-female service run by Merchants Quay Ireland for women experiencing homelessness and addiction. The service is inclusive of women from all backgrounds including LGBTQI+ women, migrant women, women in addiction and women involved in sex work.
Angela outlined the barriers these women can face in accessing screening, including:
- unstable housing and no fixed address
- difficulty receiving letters or phone calls
- limited money for transport
- addiction and mental health challenges
- trauma and fear
- low health literacy
- stigma and previous negative healthcare experiences.
To help address these barriers, the team use small group and one-to-one conversations and organise flexible drop-in sessions. They use trauma-informed approaches and use visual and easy-read resources. There is onsite access to a GP and practice nurse.
The drop-in sessions have led to important conversations and actions. One woman who raised concerns about a breast lump was referred for a mammogram through the onsite GP. Another woman decided to arrange her CervicalCheck appointment after discussing her previous concerns and experiences.
Following the success of the sessions, quarterly screening and cancer prevention sessions have now been planned at the centre.
Key messages from the webinar
The webinar highlighted the important role Community Champions play in helping improve equity of access to screening across Ireland.
Community champions expressed appreciation for the support provided by the health promotion team in the NSS, including providing resources and videos in different languages for the communities they work with.
The key takeaway messages included:
- meeting communities where they are
- building trust with communities over time
- understanding cultural and literacy needs
- recognising that screening may not always be a priority for people facing other challenges
- using clear, simple and culturally sensitive communication
- providing practical support to help people navigate services.
The experiences shared by Community Champions show that trusted relationships, flexibility and person-centred support can make a real difference in helping people access screening and engage with their health.
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