Applying lip gloss can be a life-saver

Lip gloss is a must for girls hoping to look their best, but now it’s also a reminder about how to beat a women’s cancer which kills almost 7,500 a year. Former Shop Direct employee Gillian Johnson took her LIP GLOSS event to the firm’s Shaw distribution centre to tell more women about the tell tale signs which could indicate the disease. Now her successful roadshaw could be repeated among other major employers in Oldham and further afield. Janice Barker found out more.


Five years ago Gillian Johnson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is still in treatment.

But it is not stopping her doing her utmost to warn other women who might be at risk how to spot the warning signs, which could start as every day complaints such as a bad back, or indigestion.

Gillian (45) was an accountant in the finance department at Shop Direct before her diagnosis, and became a volunteer regional ovarian cancer co-ordinator in 2008, helping to raise both awareness and funds for Ovacome, the ovarian cancer charity, and the Eve Appeal, a gynaecological charity.

She is from the Wirral and worked at Shop Direct’s headquarters in Liverpool, where her ex-colleagues were always very supportive.

Her first public campaign began there, but it was so successful and received so much publicity within the company, that she was soon invited to Shaw. And she took her LIP GLOSS campaign to women workers at the Linney Lane site recently to urge them to watch for symptoms, go to their GPs, and if they are not happy with their diagnosis, to return and ask for more help.

LIP GLOSS stands for Lets Improve Perception by Girls Learning Ovarian Signs and Symptoms.

These include unexplained changes in weight, and abdominal swelling, back pain, difficulty eating or feeling full, and changes in bowel or bladder habits.

The women workers in Shaw were lining up to talk to Amanda Storey, a Macmillan nurse specialist, and Tracey Heslop and Helen Savage from The Christie hospital, among other specialists.

But there was also chocolate and treats, plus a makeover and a lip gloss for every woman, for a donation to charity. Over 150 workers from different shifts between 10.30am to 6.30pm had booked places, and there was also plenty of informal discussions among other staff, while leaflets and advice booklets were handed out.

Andrew Sinfield, the Shaw site’s operations director popped down to see how the LIP GLOSS event was going and said: “It may sound trite, but the health and well-being of our employees is a key factor in the performance of our business. By raising cancer awareness, with the tremendous support of the Macmillan team, we can improve individuals’ management of their own lifestyle and health.”

Among the local women finding out more about ovarian cancer were Andrea Hall (39) and Mary Heap (51).

Andrea said: “I’d never come across ovarian cancer symptoms before, although you hear about screening for cervical cancer, and it’s something you associate with the over 50s.

“But talking today I realise it does affect ladies in their 30s and 40s, and talking to nurses today has made me realise the symptoms, and how to talk to a GP about them.”

Mary added: “It has been an excellent idea to hold this event.”

Amanda Storey, the Macmillan specialist, said: “It has been really good. People have listened. Sometimes people don’t want to know, so this helped us raise awareness not only of ovarian cancer, but also other gynaecological conditions as well.

“Women sometimes think a cervical smear is going to detect other cancers as well, but it won’t. We’d also like to talk to the men here so they can take the message home to their partners.”

Mary Kay Cosmetics (a corporate sponsor of The Eve Appeal) were also on hand during the event to give beauty tips and lip glosses, in exchange for a small donation to The Eve Appeal which raises money for gynaecological cancer research.

Gillian was delighted with the response in Shaw and said: “I was a late diagnosis of ovarian cancer and I suppose if I had been aware of the signs and symptoms I would have done something about it earlier.

“Now it is becoming a lot more high profile, and I wanted to do more awareness raising, and this is a great opportunity to be able to take that message to each young woman.”

But she also has to thank a man — her husband Mark —for coming up with the LIP GLOSS acronym: “We needed something which would attract people’s attention, and just calling it an ovarian cancer awareness day didn’t seem to do that.

“So we played about with the words, and he was the one who suggested lip gloss.

“It’s a campaign I would be happy to take to any large employer.”