The Marie Keating Foundation’s work focuses on raising awareness of all of the common cancers affecting men and women in Ireland and the healthy lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of cancer. The Marie Keating Foundation has three purpose-built mobile information units which travel around Ireland to bring our life-saving messages of prevention and early detection to as many people as possible. The service is free of charge to community groups, schools and colleges. We do ask for payment from corporate companies in order to continue to allow us to provide the service free of charge to others.

Staffed by a specialist nurse, the mobile information units visit community groups, workplaces, organisations and public places to bring cancer information straight into the heart of communities nationwide. The mobile information units are stocked with take-home information leaflets and packs on the various cancers. The Marie Keating Foundation nurses can talk to people in a private area on board the unit about any concerns that they may have about cancer, either for themselves or for someone else such as a family member or friend. The Foundation is keen to ensure that the harder-to-reach groups are included as part of this nationwide service and makes a concerted effort to target those living in socially deprived areas and people in areas which have a high occurrence of cancer.

Each mobile information unit has interactive displays such as Smokerlyzer® test to measure the carbon monoxide levels in your lungs (for smokers), Fizz to Fat which shows how sugary beverages can turn into body fat, and Fat Chunk models which realistically represent the look and feel of fat inside the body.

The Marie Keating Foundation nurses also visit schools, colleges, workplaces and community centres to give presentations about cancer. These can be general presentations or bespoke for the audience. Topics include:

• Your Health: Your Choice- how to reduce your cancer risk through healthy lifestyle choices
• Men's health- an overview of common men's cancers and how men can reduce their cancer risk or spot cancer early
• Women's health- an overview of common women's cancer and how women can reduce their cancer risk or spot cancer early
• Breast cancer- risk factors, reducing your risk, checking your breasts
• Cervical cancer- reducing your risk, smear tests, the HPV vaccine and signs and symptoms of cervical cancer
• Skin cancer- how to be SunSmart, how to spot skin cancer and monitor your moles and freckles
• Survivorship- life after cancer and adjusting to the new normal

If you would like one of the Mobile Information Units to visit your school, community centre, etc, please email Jenny at [email protected] or call her on 01 628 3726.

For further details on our Corporate Wellness Programme for Workplaces, click here.

Our Mobile Information Units are on the road and could be bringing vital information on cancer awareness and prevention to your area soon. If you are interested in booking a mobile unit visit for your business or community please give us a call on (01) 6283726 or email [email protected]

Upcoming Mobile Unit Visits

Wednesday 15^th May    Ballyfermot Addiction Centre               10am-3pm

Friday 17^th May                Life Pharmacy Ballyowen Lucan         10am-3pm

Monday 20^th May           Bandon Mart Cork                                      10am-3pm

Friday 24^th May               Dundalk Library                                           10am-4pm

Friday 24^th May              Coens Pharmacy Bantry                           10.30am-3pm

Monday 27^th May          Blanchardstown Shopping Centre      10am-3:30pm

Friday  31^st May            Walsh Pharmacy Fermoy                      10am-3pm

Nurse Only community visits

Tuesday 28^th May          Gort Family Resource Centre            10am-1pm

Wednesday 29^th May  Castlecomer Library                               11am-12pm

Thursday 30^th May       Ballybunion Mens Shed                         10am-12pm