A mother-of-two with cancer is inspiring people who struggle with a language barrier to go back to school to help them discuss their health.

Roisin Pelan, 40, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2014 when she was 34 weeks pregnant with her daughter Ivy.

Now on long term chemotherapy, the mother of two, is working in Brierfield to help set up a 'health' curriculum for the Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) programme.

Hosted by Nelson and Colne College and Accrington and Rossendale College, LAL is aimed at adults where English is a foreign language.

The 'Health Literacy' courses are aimed towards learners where English is a second language, providing an opportunity to enhance their language skills to make them better prepared to deal with health conditions and take responsibility for looking after themselves and their family.

Roisin’s passion in raising awareness and educating people on this important campaign has led her to work closely with East Lancashire Hospital Trust as well as LAL to highlight the important key messages around breast cancer in pregnancy.

Roisin has produced an information leaflet which the trust will implement locally with a view to a wider roll-out across the Alliance in due course.

Roisin said "The close partnership between ELTH and LAL signifies a change in the way of early detection of breast cancer - through a combination of clinical and academic means. Its work will educate both midwives and new or expecting mums and open up the conversation about breast cancer in pregnancy. I know this will in turn save many lives and hope it paves the way for Trusts throughout the country in the future."

The ‘Screening for Prevention and Good Health’ course aims to increase learners’ knowledge about the importance of health screening, and the main screening programmes available. For learners where English is a second language, it provides the opportunity to enhance their language skills and with this enhanced knowledge and confidence, they are then better prepared to deal with health conditions and take responsibility for looking after themselves and their family.

Sarah Haworth, Head of Curriculum - Health and Wellbeing is working with the teaching teams at LAL to embed the key messages around the importance of early cancer detection within the curriculum.

Sarah said “By embedding key messages about breast cancer within our curriculum, we hope to not only raise further awareness, but help to normalise conversations about cancer so people are confident to carry out self-examination and follow up anything they feel unsure about with their GP. Early detection is vital and can result in effective treatment that can save lives.”