Welcome to our Monthly Briefing for August. This briefing is for you as a group leader/organiser of one of our network of Peer Support Groups. We hope you find the content useful. The Hot Topics section below contains information that your members will find useful; if you are able, please share it with them.
Last months Support Group Leaders slides can be found here. The meeting featured a great presentation – Research, why it matters and why you matter and the Prostate Cancer UK Patient Representative Network by Dr Hayley Luxton (Prostate Cancer UK Senior Research Impact and Intelligence Manager) and Felicity Carr (Grants Manager (Research) Prostate Cancer UK)
If you would like a copy of the recording of the presentation to play at a future meeting for your members then please let me know.
This months group pictured above is Burton and District PCSG. I visited them earlier this week. The group meet on a monthly basis, and are actively engaged with local clinicians, and community organisations. The hardworking volunteers and committee members attend health and wellbeing events when they can, and do a lot of work to raise awareness of their group to both clinicians and the public. The group also have an active Facebook group to keep members in touch with each other and the work they are doing.
It may be August and the holiday season , but the Tackle team continue to work hard to promote the excellent work you do in running your Support Groups. We are also doing what we can by influencing decision-makers as well as promoting and raising awareness of the importance of timely diagnosis.
The Boys Need Bins campaign is gathering momentum, and just last week, we heard news that due to the campaign, all-male public toilets in Jersey will have a sanitary bin installed. This is great news, and shows how much we can do b
y working together to raise and amplify your voices. If you haven’t yet written to your MP, then please consider doing so, by following this link to a template letter. So far 2,200 people have emailed their MP, and it would be great to get that number up to 3000.
Later this month, I am visiting Bottoms Up in Wakefield, and Tony Collier is speaking at Kidderminster and Worcestershire PCSG, Do get in touch with me if you would like one of us to attend your support group. We really do like getting out and meeting your groups.
All across our Tackle network, great work is happening. Andrew Gabriel is supporting the relaunch of the Prostate Project- Guildford PCSG, Henry Andrews is working on launching a new group in Bury St. Edmunds. Groups are celebrating tenth and twentieth anniversaries.
We want to celebrate and showcase more of the work you do. If you would like to shout about an upcoming event, tell us about something that went well, ask a question, or make a suggestion, then please do get in touch.
Finally, an important plea. Now that the PCUK directory is no longer up-to-date, it is essential you let us know of any changes to your group contact details, venue address or times of meetings. We can quickly update our website with the correct details, to ensure people can find your group and benefit from the excellent services you provide. Click here to update any of your group info
If you are going away this month, then we wish you a relaxing holiday, and please do bring back some sunshine.
All good wishes, Sarah
August Hot Topics
You will find last month’s Hot Topics by clicking here.
Last month, the hot topics contain an important opportunity to respond as an individual or via your Support Group to an inquiry by MPs which will examine men’s mental and physical health. This is a huge opportunity to shape future policy. There are especially seeking opinions on what action is needed to improve early detection of cancers specific to men, for example, around awareness of symptoms, issues with screening and encouraging men to come forward. And with nearly half a million men living with or after prostate cancer, how well does aftercare support ongoing symptoms of male-specific cancers and how could this be improved?
Your voices matter, and responses need to be in by Friday, 8 September 2023.
All details are on on the slide set, so please consider sharing the content directly with your group members.
New Facebook Group for Support Group Leaders and Organisers
Click here to access
EastEnders Character diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
I haven’t watched EastEnders for years, however, I did last night. One of the main characters, Alfie Moon (played by Shane Ritchie) , pictured above is undergoing tests for suspected Prostate Cancer. The story, will raise vital awareness of the disease and aims to spark a national conversation, encouraging thousands more men to check their risk and speak to their GPs about prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support have worked closely with the producers of the soap to ensure that the story is as realistic as possible.
The Prostate Cancer UK website will be keeping people up to date with all the latest from Alfie and Albert Square, and with information and support for those looking to learn more about their risk, how to test for prostate cancer, or seeking support and guidance for living with or after prostate cancer.
Amy Rylance, Head of Improving Care at Prostate Cancer UK, said “Including prostate cancer in a major character’s storyline on a national soap presents a huge opportunity to raise awareness of the disease, and we’re really looking forward to seeing the impact this has on the public.”
And finally
We are keen for people to join us as we look to consider how we measure the impact of our Peer Support Groups. We are looking for volunteers to work alongside staff and trustees to look at what information, data and quality indicators we could gather. As well as providing evidence to our funders, this work will provide the evidence we all need to demonstrate our credibility to people looking for a Support Group as well as clinicians signposting people to the groups
If you would like to join us please email Aidan by clicking here
