4 Ways Volunteers Help Us Take Action Against Pancreatic Cancer
- Written by Heather Archbold
- Posted: 2 June 2026
- 3 min read
This week, 1st-7th June, is Volunteers Week and we want to celebrate the amazing volunteers that support the work that we do! Every year, volunteers help us reach thousands of people with information about pancreatic cancer, support patients and families, influence healthcare improvements and raise vital funds for our work.
During Volunteers' Week, we want to celebrate some of the incredible people who make this possible and show the many different ways you can get involved.
Raising Awareness in Local Communities
Our awareness volunteers are crucial to spreading our message and supporting patients and their families. There are many ways to get involved by hosting an awareness stand, distributing leaflets in a local supermarket or hosting awareness talks in local businesses.
We want to thank Peter and Sandra, two pancreatic cancer survivors who host a monthly awareness stand at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. By being positioned outside the pancreatic clinic, they are well placed to offer first-hand support to pancreatic cancer patients and their families whilst also raising symptom awareness among fellow patients and staff within the hospital.
Using Lived Experience to Drive Change
We believe that nobody understands the challenges of pancreatic cancer better than patients and their families. That’s why we truly value their input and want to ensure that their voices are at the heart of any public health decision-making processes or audits concerning patient treatment and care.
We are proud supporters of the National Pancreatic Cancer Audit across England and Wales, helping to improve the care and treatment of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
An integral part of the audit is to hear from those with lived experience. One of our volunteers, Sue Applegarth, sits on the PPI (Public and Patient Involvement) forum, ensuring that her views and experiences as a pancreatic cancer survivor are at the centre of the work of the audit.
“When Pancreatic Cancer Action asked me if I’d like to join the National Pancreatic Cancer Audit’s Patient Public Involvement Forum, the answer was a very big ‘yes please’. I said yes because I liked NPaCA’s mission to create a shared vision for good practice for treating people with pancreatic cancer and sharing outcomes. I felt using my personal experience of being diagnosed with, and successfully treated for, pancreatic cancer would be helpful when shaping that shared vision of good practice and considering what data is collected so good practice can be shared and acted on. For me, a key part of good practice is what that looks and feels like to the person being treated. I feel the reward that comes from working as part of good team, to share ideas and take forward initiatives ideas that could improve patient experience and survival rates for people with pancreatic cancer.”
If you would like to share your story to help us raise awareness of early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, please get in touch!
Raising Vital Funds
We are incredibly lucky to have a wonderful community of fundraising volunteers. They continuously go above and beyond in their local communities to raise funds and awareness all year round. Volunteers like Kirsty Rutherford are vital to the work we do at Pancreatic Cancer Action.
Kirsty was 25 years old when she lost her mum, Rachel, to pancreatic cancer in September 2022. She is a familiar face within our Glasgow community volunteering her time at train station collection days, attending events and even wearing our ‘Aware Bear’ mascot suit. She has put collection tins in her local community and hosts fundraising events of her own such as bingo and quiz nights.
“Volunteering for Pancreatic Cancer Action has given me a purpose and focus. Losing my mum is the worst thing that has happened to me, so to be able to turn it into a positive and help others gets me through tough times by keeping my mum’s memory alive. I have also been lucky enough to meet some amazing people through volunteering. Being able to share our stories is very comforting.”
Thank you to Kirsty and all our amazing volunteers. You are the heart of our community.
Helping Shape Trusted Health Information
We are very proud of the suite of health information that we have on offer for patients and healthcare professionals. All of our health information is PIF Tick accredited, which demonstrates the highest level of quality for health information that is well reviewed, well researched and can be trusted.
A key part of our health information process is seeking feedback from our lay review volunteers. These volunteers help to review our health information, ensure it is visually attractive, is easily understood, contains appropriate signposting and is easy to find and order on our website.
Without their input, our health information wouldn’t be to the high standard that it is. We truly thank them for their contribution to supporting patients and their families who rely on our health information when navigating a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
We couldn’t do the work that we do without our loyal volunteers! They really are at the heart of our charity and we are so grateful for their support.
Find out more about volunteering with Pancreatic Cancer Action and register your interest today to help us improve early diagnosis and save lives.
