Last week, we travelled to Darwin, NT with our Ambassador, cricket legend Merv Hughes, to raise awareness about the importance of screening for early detection of bowel cancer.

In the Northern Territory, the participation rate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is only 26.6%, compared with the national average of 41.7%. We are determined to change these statistics, break down barriers and help save lives.

We worked closely with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand to bring Merv to Darwin for their NT Business Forum, as the keynote speaker. On Friday Merv spoke to 120 accountants about the importance of doing the bowel screening test, understanding family history and the steps to help prevent bowel cancer.

Between sharing cricket stories, Merv encouraged everyone to look after their health & wellbeing, whilst providing some insights into leadership and resilience. His speech was not just inspirational, interesting and informative, but also funny, engaging and truly memorable.

A heartfelt thank you to Scott Jones, Tania Whittington and the team at Chartered Accountants ANZ for inviting us and for your warm welcome. We loved meeting you all and sharing our life-saving messages with a new audience.

Scott Jones, from Chartered Accountants, had this to say:
“Thank you to everyone who made the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand 2026 NT Business Forum – Accounting in the AI Era: Balancing Tech, Talent and Wellbeing – such a memorable event.  A special highlight was Merv Hughes, who brought the room to life as ambassador for the Jodi Lee Foundation. Merv’s hilarious anecdotes had us all laughing, but he never lost sight of his message. He spoke candidly about his own experiences, weaving in stories that reminded us of the importance of bowel cancer awareness. His unique blend of humour and honesty made the serious topics of leadership, resilience and wellbeing accessible and real. Merv’s energy and authenticity encouraged us to look after ourselves and each other, both in our professional and personal lives.”

Whilst in Darwin we were fortunate be invited on air with both ABC Darwin and First Nations Radio to continue to raise awareness about bowel screening and the importance of doing the test for early detection. Thank you Adam Steer and Charlie King for welcoming Merv onto your shows!

We also had the pleasure of attending the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory networking event, with over 60 of their members in attendance. A huge thank you to the NT Chamber of Commerce and TCASS teams for allowing us time in their busy event schedule for Merv to speak. We love meeting new people and educating more Australians on bowel cancer prevention and early detection.

Thank you to those we met in Darwin who openly shared their personal stories about how bowel cancer has affected them. Every conversation and every story shared helps us move one step closer to a future where fewer families are impacted by bowel cancer.

We sincerely thank Merv Hughes for his time and efforts in making this happen, we really appreciate your support!

For more information about our Talking Sh!t campaign, to find out more about bowel screening, to re-order a lost or expired bowel screening test, to opt in for your first test (between 45-49) or to purchase a test kit (if ineligible for a free test) click here.