Living with Secondary Breast Cancer in person

FAQs

• What happens once I’ve registered?

  After you’ve registered for the Living with Secondary Breast Cancer service, we’ll send you an email with an invitation to join the group each month. To sign up for that month’s group, you’ll just need to reply to the email and let us know you’re planning on coming along.

• Where are the groups held?

  Scotland

  • Aberdeen: 11am, second Wednesday of the month
  • Edinburgh: 11am, last Monday of the month
  • Lanarkshire: 11am, fourth Wednesday of the month
  • Highlands: Online group

  Northern Ireland

  • Belfast: 11am, third Friday of the month
  • Derry/Londonderry: 11am, second Monday of the month

  Wales

  • Wrexham: 11am, first Friday of every month

  England

  • Bath: 11am, first Tuesday of the month
  • Bedfordshire: 11am, fourth Wednesday of the month
  • Birmingham: 11am, third Thursday of the month
  • Brighton: 11am, fourth Wednesday of the month
  • Bristol: 11am, second Tuesday of the month
  • Buckinghamshire: 11am, third Monday of the month
  • Cornwall (Truro): 11am, third Thursday of the month
  • Coventry: 11am, second Thursday of the month
  • Doncaster: 11am, first Monday of the month
  • Dorset, Poole: 11am, first Thursday of the month
  • Harrogate: 11am, fourth Thursday of the month
  • Kendal: 11am, first Wednesday of the month
  • Leeds: 11am, first Friday of the month
  • Leicester: 11am, first Monday of the month
  • London - Northwood (near Herts and Bucks): 11am, first Thursday of the month
  • London – Orpington: 11am, first Monday of the month
  • London - Romford: 11am, first Thursday of the month
  • London - Sutton: 11am, fourth Thursday of the month
  • London - Waterloo: 11am, third Thursday of the month
  • Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells: 10.30am, first Tuesday of the month
  • Manchester: 11am, third Wednesday of the month
  • Milton Keynes: 11am, second Monday of the month
  • Northampton: 11am, second Thursday of the month
  • Norwich: 11am second Friday of the month
  • Oxford: 11am, third Thursday of the month
  • Plymouth: 11am, third Tuesday of the month
  • Reading: 11am, third Friday of the month
  • Salisbury: 11am, third Wednesday of the month
  • Sheffield: 11am, second Friday of the month
  • Staffordshire - Stoke-on-Trent: 11am, first Wednesday of the month
  • Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire (Frimley): 11am, fourth Monday of the month
  • Swindon: 11am, first Wednesday of the month
  • Taunton: 11am, third Wednesday of the month
  • Torbay (Torquay): 11am, first Tuesday of the month
  • York: 11am, third Monday of the month

• What do people talk about during the groups?

  We often talk about every day issues and how secondary breast cancer and impacts daily life.

  We encourage you to share your experiences with people who'll understand what you're going through. But if you don’t want to share anything, that's completely fine, and you can just listen.

  Sometimes, we may cover themes that can be difficult. But our counsellor is there to support everyone.

  Please bear in mind our in person groups aren't group therapy session, and we don’t offer individual medical care or advice.

• How accessible are the venues?

  Our groups are in venues with easy road links and bus routes. 

  All venues are accessible with:

  • Accessible toilets
  • Car parking on-site or close by with disabled spaces
  • Located on the ground floor or the first floor via a lift

  If you need more support from us to take part in our services, we’ll do our best to make reasonable adjustments. If you need further assistance, contact us at secondaryservices@breastcancernow.org or 0345 077 1893.

• Do you provide any help with costs?

  Thanks to our generous supporters, our services are always free. But we know that using one of our services might still cost you money – for example if you have to pay for travel. We’re committed to supporting everyone affected by breast cancer to live well. So, if you need help covering the costs of using our services, we’re here.  

  If you’re worried about the costs involved in using our services, email us at accessfund@breastcancernow.org or call 0345 077 1893. Please give some brief information about your situation, so we can try our best to help. We’ll get back to you in 2 working days.  

  If you’re disabled and would like to use one of our services, we’ll do everything we can to make sure they’re accessible to you. 

• Do I need to come to every single group?

  No. You can come to as many or as few as you'd like to. 

• What if I don’t feel well enough to come?

  If you don't feel well enough to attend, please let us know if you can, but if you can't, we understand. We won't contact you to ask where you are.

   

• How many people are usually at an in person group?

  Groups can range from 6 to 12 people.

• Are there refreshments at the in person groups?

  We provide tea, coffee, water and biscuits. If you have any dietary requirements, let us know when you register so we can make sure we cater for them.

• Will a healthcare professional be there?

  We don’t typically invite healthcare professionals to the groups. The sessions are an opportunity for you to speak openly with people who are in a similar situation.  

  We may invite them to one of our quarterly expert speaker sessions or ask if they'd like to observe a session so they can promote the service. We’d let you know before through our monthly invitation email.

• I'm aged 45 or under and living with secondary breast cancer – will there be others my age at the group?

  The ages of people in the group can vary. 

  If you'd like to attend a group just for younger women, we also hold Living with Secondary Breast Cancer - Younger Women online sessions. It's a chance to meet women you're age who are going through similar.

   

• Are the groups private?

  Yes. Our groups are a confidential, safe space for you to be as open as you like. Everyone in the group will be reminded to keep the discussions confidential.