Cornwall’s Alarming HPV Vaccine Gap: Parents Urged to Act Now
A national campaign urging parents and young people in Cornwall to sign up for the HPV vaccine has been launched by the Lady Garden Foundation alongside Cornish garden designer Darren Hawkes. The move follows reports that Cornwall currently has the lowest HPV vaccine uptake in the country.
Vaccine Could Prevent 90% of Cervical Cancers
The campaign highlights that the HPV vaccine can prevent around 90% of cervical cancers. The Lady Garden Foundation is calling on parents and those under 25 who haven’t yet received the vaccine to take up the offer through their GP or school.
The HPV vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus responsible for several cancers, including cervical, vulval, vaginal, throat, penile, anal, and head and neck cancers. It also prevents genital warts. When combined with regular cervical screenings, protection against cervical cancer rises to over 99%.
In Cornwall, uptake among 12–13-year-olds ranges from 0–70%, significantly below the national average.
“Awareness Today Means Prevention Tomorrow”
Speaking to Neil Caddy on BBC Radio Cornwall on 6th November, Dr Stephanie Kuku, Medical Ambassador for the Lady Garden Foundation, said:
“One of the Lady Garden Foundation missions is to make gynaecological health something everyone feels comfortable talking about because it traditionally just hasn’t been. I always say awareness today means prevention tomorrow. We must keep talking about the 5 gynaecological cancers as women are in charge of their own health.
“Cervical cancer has a huge global burden. So the conversation must be had amongst men and women, families and communities. It’s as important to me that my husband can talk about cervical cancer screening to my daughter – not just me. These conversations are about saving lives. And so I think that is the message that we have to spread, is there is a real opportunity here in Cornwall to get communities to raise awareness and to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine to save lives.”
Dr Stephanie trained as a Surgical Oncologist and Gynaecologist and is now a Biotech executive in women’s health, as well as an active ambassador for the charity.
“A Lifesaving Opportunity”
The campaign supports NHS England’s goal to eliminate cervical cancers by 2040 through vaccination and screening access. Cervical cancer is one of five gynaecological cancers that together claim 21 lives every day in the UK.
John Butler, Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon and Medical Director at the Lady Garden Foundation, said:
“Cervical cancer – and other HPV related cancers – are often devastating diseases, but we have the power to eliminate them, through vaccination and screening. It’s heartbreaking that so many young people are missing out on the protection the HPV vaccine offers, simply because uptake remains below NHS targets. Over 400,000 young people have left school unvaccinated in the last three years. That’s why this new move to remind those who missed out at school is not just welcome – it could be lifesaving.”
Cornwall Designer Lends His Voice
Cornwall-based designer Darren Hawkes, founder of Darren Hawkes Landscape and Garden Design, is supporting the campaign and has designed the Lady Garden Foundation’s Silent No More Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2026.
The striking, immersive design features forms and planting that subtly echo the female body, encouraging curiosity and open conversations about the five gynaecological cancers: ovarian, cervical, vulval, womb, and vaginal.
After its showcase at RHS Chelsea, the garden will move to a community location on Jersey as a permanent legacy for the Lady Garden Foundation, with additional plants donated to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton.
Darren said:
“The Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ RHS Chelsea Show Garden has been designed to break the silence and challenge the stigmas surrounding the five gynaecological cancers. It aims to raise awareness of what these cancers are and their symptoms through open, uninhibited conversations. Men must also be part of this dialogue, so that women can take proactive steps towards prevention, greater symptom awareness and earlier diagnosis – ultimately saving more lives in the future.”
About the Lady Garden Foundation
The Lady Garden Foundation is a movement started in 2014 by a group of women determined to make gynaecological cancers #silentnomore. Its mission is to break the taboos around gynaecological health, fund cutting-edge research, and help women recognise the symptoms of the five gynaecological cancers: cervical, ovarian, womb, vaginal, and vulval.
Every day in the UK, 60 women receive a gynaecological cancer diagnosis and 21 die from one of these cancers. The charity says the UK lags behind other countries in early diagnosis due to stigma, low awareness, misdiagnosis and overlooked symptoms.
The Lady Garden Foundation has funded major research at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and continues to run national education and awareness campaigns.
Learn more about the HPV vaccine here.
Read about NHS England’s plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 here
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