LEANNE PERO
Leanne Pero set up the charity The Leanne Pero Foundation last year, to address the lack of education about cancer amongst the black community and to provide specialist support and services for black cancer patients.
In 2016, Leanne was just 30 when she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy as well as a bilateral mastectomy.
During treatment, Leanne organised a series of informal coffee mornings to support other BAME women with cancer. These evolved into the Black Women Rising Cancer Support Group to help women cope with a diagnosis and raise awareness of the disease among a demographic disproportionately affected by cancer.
After being given the all clear in summer of 2017, she created Black Women Rising – The Untold Cancer stories, the UK’s first all-black female cancer portrait exhibition. It featured portraits of 14 black women diagnosed with breast cancer bearing their treatment scars and is due to exhibit at the Tate Gallery in London in 2021.
Inspired? Apply for funding
Inspired by LEANNE PERO? Apply for funding to support your own community. Search for funding
Over 685,000 projects funded
The National Lottery has given over £43bn to local projects just like this one to support your local community. Discover more local projects in your community