We deliver telephone-based intervention programme designed to engage individuals who are less likely to take part in national cancer screening through motivational interviewing and positive behaviour change tools. These are often people from marginalised or underrepresented communities who face barriers such as language, mistrust, or low awareness. Our goal is to help build healthier communities — where people feel informed, empowered, and confident in making decisions about their health.
First commissioned in Newham in 2010, our programme initially focused on improving breast cancer screening uptake. Since then, it has grown significantly to include bowel and cervical cancer screening, reaching across 28 London boroughs and supporting some of the most deprived and diverse populations in the country.
Trusted, Community-Based Delivery
Working in partnership with GP practices, Cancer Alliances Breast Screening Services and Bowel Screening Hubs, our team contact patients who have missed screening invitations or failed to return their kits. Trained Health Facilitators – recruited from the communities they serve – deliver culturally sensitive, one-to-one outreach, addressing fears, explaining the screening process, reordering kits, and, booking appointments directly into NHS clinics.
This trusted, personalised model is key to our success. Our Health Facilitators reflect the local demographics, speak multiple languages, and bring deep understanding of cultural barriers that can prevent people from engaging with healthcare. Their connection to the community allows us to build trust, tackle myths and misinformation, and motivate people to take action — often for the first time.
Over the past decade, we’ve contacted over 400,000 people, with 70% of those spoken to engaging in meaningful conversations. Results show that 50% go on to complete their screening, and breast and cervical screening uptake improves by up to 64% in areas covered by our calls.
Cancer Awareness and Education
Alongside our telephone support service, we’ve delivered wide-reaching community awareness campaigns across London. These initiatives engage residents through schools, faith centres, markets, and local events to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer — particularly breast, bowel, cervical and lung cancers — and the importance of early diagnosis.
Our team has also delivered targeted education sessions in secondary schools and sixth forms, speaking to young people about the importance of body awareness, the risks of shisha use, and the value of cancer prevention.
We work closely with trusted partners including Cancer Research UK, the Bowel Health Improvement Team, and the London Breast and Cervical Screening Hubs to ensure our messaging is evidence-based, sensitive, and aligned with national priorities.
Bowel Cancer Screening
Since 2012, we’ve been delivering interventions to increase bowel screening uptake across London.
Community Links has worked with NHS partners and Cancer Alliances since 2012 to tackle health inequalities and improve early cancer detection by increasing participation in the national bowel screening programme. Over the years, we have delivered this programme across more than 20 London boroughs, focusing on patients who have not returned their Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kits.
Our support is rooted in trusted, one-to-one conversations. We contact patients by phone, address any questions or fears they may have about the test, and help them order a replacement kit if needed.
Recent Project: North Central London Cancer Alliance
In our most recent project, commissioned by NCL Cancer Alliance, we supported patients in Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden and Islington, calling 4,972 eligible individuals who had not returned their FIT kit. The aim was to encourage participation and help reduce the risk of late-stage diagnosis.
This project builds on our legacy of success — for example, during a previous phase in West and South West London, we spoke to over 48,000 patients, resulting in 23% returning their kits and over 120 abnormal results being identified early.
We continue to partner closely with GP practices and screening hubs to make sure patients receive the right information and support to complete their tests.
Breast Cancer Screening
Since 2010, we’ve supported women across London to access breast screening.
Community Links has a long-standing track record of increasing uptake in the national breast cancer screening programme, especially in underserved communities. Working with bilingual Health Facilitators from the local area, we deliver telephone-based outreach to women who have missed or not responded to their breast screening invitations.
Through respectful conversations, we provide reassurance, share the benefits of early detection, and support appointment bookings when appropriate.
Recent Project: ONEL Breast Screening – Ilford
Our latest breast cancer screening project was delivered in partnership with the Outer North East London (ONEL) Breast Screening Service, focusing on Ilford, an area with high deprivation and low screening uptake. We contacted 2,165 women who had not responded to their breast screening invitation.
By engaging directly and sensitively with patients, we helped remove common barriers such as misinformation, fear, and logistical challenges. This work has contributed to a measurable improvement in attendance rates and more equitable access to life-saving screening.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Since 2016, we’ve worked with communities to increase cervical screening participation and reduce health disparities.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer — yet uptake remains persistently low in certain populations. Community Links has been delivering targeted calling interventions to contact women who have missed their smear tests, answer concerns, explain the screening process, and help them book appointments.
Our Health Facilitators are trained in motivational interviewing and health promotion, and they often speak the same languages as the women they support, helping build trust and encourage action.
Current Project: Newham – Targeted Community Calling
With funding from the London Borough of Newham, our current project focuses on Bengali and Romanian women in the borough — two groups with the lowest cervical screening uptake rates. These women are contacted by culturally and linguistically matched Health Facilitators, who provide one-to-one support in booking appointments, understanding the screening process, and overcoming barriers such as fear, stigma, and practical challenges.
This bespoke intervention is co-designed with the community and builds on the success of earlier awareness campaigns in the borough. Our goal is to increase participation and reduce late diagnosis in groups at highest risk of being missed by the health system.