Honouring vow to his late friend
There is still time to nominate someone for the Bristol and Bath Health and Care Awards.
Have you had a nurse or doctor who has gone above and beyond the call of duty? Or a support or care worker who gives that little bit extra. We are shining a light on the people working hard in our hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, health centres and care homes, to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.
To nominate your own healthcare hero visit www.bhealthandcareawards.co.uk/enter
We have different categories for you to nominate your hero for. GP practise of the year, best innovation and outstanding achievement are just some of the titles you could give to someone who has helped you.
Errol Campbell has been nominated for volunteer of the year for his charity health work. Errol leads an organisation called Friends of Caswell Thompson to raise awareness of prostate cancer in the Afro Caribbean community.
On his best friend’s deathbed, he promised to do something to help others. This motivated him further into spreading awareness for this risk that is often left unspoken.
While one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lives, for black men it is much worse with a staggering one in four battling the disease.
Errol held the first event in 2009 after seeing several close friends and family die of prostate cancer, only then to be diagnosed with the disease himself.
He has gone on to organise many talks, sessions and events surrounding prostate cancer for both men and women. Lives have been saved or prolonged as a result of his awareness raising work.
Errol has been nominated by Sarah Ambe who is the Healthwatch Bristol Manager. She first met Errol when he got in touch about his campaign.
Sarah said: “He came to healthwatch and spoke to my colleague who was a member of BAME community. I joined Healthwatch a year ago and he told me his story. I was pretty much blown away by that story and how many people had come forward because of him.”
Healthwatch believed in Errol and his passions and ended up working closely with him, helping to spread the word about prostate cancer within BAME men.
“Errol has worked tirelessly for several years, using his own time and sometimes money to hold awareness events to inform black and minority ethnic men about their risks of prostate cancer,” said Sarah.
“He really is an unsung hero… he doesn’t seek limelight or media but he has realised that to get his message out there he needs to use it.”
On top of his talks, sessions and annual events Errol has made massive impacts on the health world locally and internationally.
He spurred Public Health England to write to all the doctors across the city about the risk of prostate cancer in BAME men as well as working with patients across the world in areas with a high number of BAME men who are susceptible to the illness. n Know someone like Errol? You can nominate your own hero at www.bhealthandcareawards.co. uk/enter