Welcome to our monthly briefing. The information in this newsletter has been customised for you, our key group contacts, to use in your own newsletters and communications with your group members. 
We hope you find it useful.

How are we in the middle of December already? 2023 has sped by so quickly, I don’t know how you feel, but I feel totally unprepared for the festive season ahead! Earlier this week, we held our last Board Meeting of 2023. We were joined in the late afternoon by our wonderful and growing team. Unfortunately, the photo above was taken after a few key members of the board had left for their trains, but their presence is nonetheless within the photo and all of us join together to say how proud we are to be working alongside you to ensure that all people living with and impacted by prostate cancer are able to access peer support. #TogetherWeTackle.

The board members and staff team spent time at the meeting, looking back over our collective achievements from 2023 and looking forward to what is to come in 2024. We shared some of this success at the Support Group Leaders meeting last week, including some of the amazing stories from across the country. Take a look at the slides from the meeting to find out more or have a look at the recording of the meeting by following this link. 

Your feedback from the Support Group Leaders survey has been invaluable in shaping our 2024 Support Group Leaders meeting programme. In the survey, you said you wanted support in developing essential skills such as social media, marketing, communication, and facilitation.

As we look to further develop our reach into new communities and continue our work in 2024, we are currently preparing applications for funding from a number of larger funders. All of these funders require data on the impact we are making, especially how people benefit from reaching out to and attending the support groups in our federation. Therefore we are today launching a national survey and need your help to get it out to your members. Last time we did this, we got around 300 responses, it would be great if we could increase this number. The details and survey link are below, please cut and paste this to email out to your group members. The survey is very short. We need responses back by January 28th  

We’re proud to have you as a crucial part of our journey towards supporting those impacted by prostate cancer. We value your partnership and would love to hear any questions or suggestions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at s[email protected].

Together, we can make 2024 a successful year in our joint aim to provide valuable peer support for all people living with and impacted by Prostate Cancer. Thank you for your continued support.

With all best wishes for a peaceful and relaxing festive season,
The Tackle Team 

Please cut and paste the text and link to send to your group members. Tackle Prostate Cancer is the National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Group. We are a network of over 120 peer support groups across the United Kingdom. Your prostate cancer group is one of our member organisations. As we gear up for 2024, expanding the reach of support groups into new communities and continuing our mission to ensure peer support is available for all people living with and impacted by Prostate Cancer, we’re reaching out to you with an important request. To secure the necessary funding from major funders, we’re actively preparing applications that highlight the profound impact of our collective work. These funders are keen to see tangible evidence of the positive changes our work brings to people’s lives, particularly through our support groups. Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of a national survey designed to capture the transformative effects of peer support groups. Your participation is absolutely essential in showcasing the meaningful outcomes our community achieves. Your insights will not only strengthen our funding applications but also contribute to the narrative of change and progress we’re committed to. In our previous survey, we received an impressive 300 responses, demonstrating the power of our collective voice. Now, we’re setting our sights even higher and aiming to surpass this achievement. Together, we can make an even more significant impact. #TogetherWeTackle Here are the details and the survey link: Click here for the survey  Your prompt response is crucial, and we kindly request that all submissions be made by January 28th. The survey is designed to be brief, respecting your time while maximizing the impact of your input.

Message from Mark, our new Peer Support Coordinator I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the warm welcome and insightful conversations I’ve had with many of you during my first 8 weeks at Tackle. The passion and dedication I’ve witnessed towards promoting the importance of Peer Support have been truly inspiring. Whether our interactions have been in person or over Zoom, I’ve consistently felt humbled by the commitment each of you has shown to this cause. Your enthusiasm for adapting and implementing Peer Support in your respective groups has not gone unnoticed. I believe I’ve had the pleasure of reaching out to all of you, but in case I’ve missed anyone, please feel free to drop me an email at [email protected]. I’m keen to connect with everyone and can readily set up Zoom meetings or arrange visits to your groups. Additionally, if your group requires more C Cards with instructions for personalization, kindly provide me with a suitable address via email, and I’ll ensure they are promptly dispatched to you. I’d like to wish each of you a fantastic Christmas. I’m excited about the prospects of the upcoming year and the chance to continue our collaborative efforts. Mark Kelly

This month’s Hot Topics can be found here.

Prostate Cancer Awareness and
PSA Blood Testing Events

We recognise how important raising awareness of the importance of early diagnosis is to our groups.

Is your group planning an awareness event you would like us to promote? Or do you have any photos and feedback we could share?

You can order resources signposting people to the PCUK Risk Checker from the shop on their website and there is some excellent resources on their Risk Checker Hub here.

For a list of future upcoming PSA testing events, have a look at the Graham Fulford website here.