Well-being festival takes place at the Ricoh Arena
Award-winning podcast presenter will be speaking at event
ONE of the presenters of an award-winning podcast will be urging visitors to one of the biggest wellness events of the year to break down the taboo of cancer and put their health first.
Lauren Mahon is one of the hosts of You, Me And The Big C with Deborah James and Steve Bland – husband of the show’s creator Rachael, who died last September from incurable breast cancer.
Lauren has been in remission from breast cancer for two years after being diagnosed when she was aged just 31 despite there being no family history of the disease.
She will be among the highprofile speakers at the Being Well Festival at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on Thursday, October 24 which aims to promote happier, healthier lives by educating people about their health and general wellness.
Lauren said: “I believe the conversation around cancer is still very much taboo. While we have started to break that down by more women self-examining and being conscious of their body so they know what is normal for them, being diagnosed with cancer early is the best form of defence.
“If you are going to get diagnosed it is best to be diagnosed early because the survival rate if cancer is caught early is better than if you just ignore the symptoms.
“When I do talks throughout the country about cancer, I have met people afterwards who said they had a problem and had got it checked out and had been given the all-clear or had been diagnosed early.
“It is part of our well-being to manage our own health and that will be one of my messages at the Being Well Festival.”
The Being Well event will give visitors the opportunity to shop at a ‘wellbeing marketplace,’ take part in activities and taster sessions, receive one-toone advice on health and wellbeing and attend a special ticketed lunch.
Breast Cancer Haven, which will benefit from funds raised throughout the day, operates from seven locations across the UK and provides emotional, physical and practical support for anyone affected by breast cancer including one-to-one therapy and counselling for family and friends.
Being Well is one of the themes of the popular podcast along with how society thinks and talks about cancer as well as the honest experiences of the presenters.
“The response has been amazing,” Lauren said. “Not only has it been a cathartic experience for me, by chatting with Deborah, Rachael and now Steve, it has helped us process the thoughts and feelings that we go through. What comes across on the podcast is authentic because it is just us chatting, it isn’t scripted.