Cancer survivor uses her own experiences to help others facing challenges, and has founded a groundbreaking charity.

Leanne was 15, when she launched her own community-focused dance company after crediting dance for saving her after suffering from sexual abuse as child. The Movement Factory uses dance to engage young people and develop their physical and mental wellbeing whilst providing a safe community space for them to realise their potential and break negative cycles and is about to turn 25 years old. 

In 2016, aged 30, Leanne was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Following a double mastectomy and eight rounds of chemotherapy, she was given the all clear and is now eight years cancer free. 

She said: ‘I still get asked all the time, are you the same person? And it’s like no, you’re never the same person ever again. I remember after being given the all clear, I had so many people go ‘right, you’ve got your life back, that’s it, it’s all over’.

‘The worst part of the journey was actually finishing treatment, because the doctors, the nurses, your healthcare team go away and you’re sort of left and it’s like actually where’s your new normal, who am I now? And that is where I really struggled.”

Her cancer battle also made her realise the shame and stigma that exists around the disease in Black community.

Using her platform, Leanne set up her groundbreaking award winning cancer support charity Black Women Rising and has successfully raised over a 1million pounds to fund vital support, information and advice for women of colour diagnosed with cancer.

She continues to share her story to raise awareness among young people and the BAME community.

What the Judges said: “Overcoming her own difficulties would have been incredible enough but to have then gone on to change things for so many others is even more astonishing.”