The Affected by Cancer (ABC) support group meet at the SMH Group Stadium every month. Facilitator Andrea Parkinson from the Community Trust answers questions about ABC, beginning with an update on the group’s recent activities…
We went to York last week and 30 people got on a coach from the stadium, travelled to York, probably got there at about 11 o’clock and left at 4pm. Some of the people on the coach were saying how they’ve never been able to afford to go to York before or never visited York. So as a Trust and with the funds that we get for the Cancer Support Group, we’ve managed to put on a free trip, which was a fantastic day. The weather certainly helped! We have got a coffee morning coming up and one of the members has a sister who owns a villa in Gozo and she’s donated a free week at her accommodation. The raffle will raise crucial funds to keep the group running and then we’ve got an Islands in the Sun event in July where we’ll all get together, wearing fancy dress and just celebrate the last year as a group. We also have new members coming in. It’s been a very busy couple of months, with trips and planning events. At the latest meeting we had 40 people in attendance, which just shows that the need is there for the local community.
What sort of feedback are you getting from those who attend?
How peer support can really help. Talking to the next person who is going through similar challenges, whether that be treatment or to have lost someone recently. That peer support is hugely important. They feel that it’s a safe place that they can talk openly about what they’re going through and that they know that the support is there from peers or from professionals.
The meetings are open to anyone who wants that support, whether they’re affected personally or through family members etc…
That’s right. We meet once a month and the next one is on June 21st, in the SBK Spires Restaurant at the front of the SMH Group Stadium. You don’t have to book, you can just turn up and go and sit at the back if you don’t want a fuss made out of you. We have had a new member at the latest meeting who sadly lost her husband a couple of months ago. It’s for anyone affected by cancer. You could be going through the treatment yourself or you could have lost someone recently. The group is there for the support to make sure everyone feels welcome.
It’s great to see that you have a lot of people who return and attend on a regular basis but also some new members come along as well. It must give you a lot of satisfaction to see the help that the group is offering to people…
Yes, it does. I go around and talk to everyone during the two hours during the meeting and some of the stories are heartbreaking really, but it’s good to know that they’re leaving with a smile on their face, knowing that for that two hours they’ve got support and they’ve had someone to talk to. Going to York, people were sat with someone that they didn’t know a year ago but are now spending a day together on a trip. So, yes, the friendship element is just as important as well.
