The BEACON approach:
A community-centred approach for tackling inequities in health and screening
Researching health inequity
Everyone deserves a fair chance at good health.
We all want to live long, healthy lives. But not everyone has the same opportunity to spot serious health issues early. That’s where the Beacon4Health approach comes in.
In the UK, programmes like those for breast, bowel and cervical cancer can help detect problems when they’re easier to treat. The problem is that not everyone takes part in screening equally. Research shows that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to join these programmes. As a result, conditions may be picked up later, when outcomes are often worse.
We think that’s unfair and we're working to change it.
Our research is about working with communities to understand the barriers to screening and find ways to improve access. We support people to make informed choices about their health and help ensure screening is accessible, relevant, and trusted.
This work is guided by the BEACON approach, which stands for:
Building
Engagement through
Assets
Community
Ownership
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What is BEACON4HEALTH?
This is not research done to communities. It is done with them.
The people we work with are involved at every stage, from shaping the questions to co-designing materials and sharing the findings. We listen, learn, and build together.
BEACON builds on what already exists in communities: trusted voices, cultural knowledge, lived experience, and social networks. Whether through faith messages, WhatsApp chats, or local events, we meet people where they are.
We help overcome barriers that get in the way of early diagnosis. Our aim is to make sure everyone has the information they need to decide if screening is right for them.
What makes BEACON different?
This website is for anyone interested in addressing health inequities
Members of the public curious about our work
Someone invited to take part in one of our studies
Researchers looking at similar issues
Here you’ll find information about our projects, ways to get involved and access to materials like consent forms, surveys and study updates. You can also explore our approach in more detail, read about our methods, and see the findings from our work.