| Hello! |
| Hello everyone, and welcome to this month’s briefing. As always, this update is for you as support group leaders and organisers, with news, information, and ideas to help you in your vital roles. Please do remember to forward the Hot Topics to your members, and get in touch with any comments, questions, or suggestions. This is your federation, and it is shaped by your voices. Thank you, as ever, for the hard work and commitment you give every day. There is no such thing as a “good” cancer. That truth has become sharper for me in recent months, and it underlines why peer support matters so deeply. Our groups are often the first place people living with and affected by prostate cancer turn when the ground shifts beneath them, offering connection, reassurance, and hope at the most difficult of times. At the same time, we must keep our eyes on the bigger picture. The government has now responded to the PCUK petition on prostate cancer screening and confirmed that a national consultation will take place later this year. This is a pivotal opportunity for change, but only if our voices are heard and we stand together to push for earlier diagnosis and improved survival rates. In this month’s briefing, we share both reflections on the human reality of living with prostate cancer and the power of peer support, alongside an urgent call to action to prepare for the consultation and to mobilise through the Proactive for Your Prostate campaign. Our collective voice matters, and together, we can bring about change. |
| Spotlight – Government Response to the Screening Petition |
| Many of you will have seen the government’s response to the petition led by Prostate Cancer UK calling for a national screening programme. The petition attracted over 22,000 signatures, showing the strength of feeling across the country. The positives The government has confirmed that the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) will review the evidence and run a public consultation later this year. Screening for prostate cancer is now firmly on the agenda, a major step forward after years of inaction. Ministers have recognised the urgent need to improve earlier diagnosis, particularly for those at higher risk. The concerns The response falls short of a clear commitment to implement screening. It keeps the door open but does not yet walk through it. Timescales remain vague, and there is a risk that momentum could be lost without strong pressure from the community. There was little acknowledgement of the lived experience of people living with and affected by prostate cancer, voices that must be central to any consultation. What we need to do now This is where our federation can make the difference. Together, our groups can ensure that the voices of people affected by prostate cancer are heard loud and clear. Here’s how you can help this month: ✔️ Sign up and share the Proactive for Your Prostate campaign (led by Prostate Cancer Research) a simple way for people to get involved and show their support. ✔️ Encourage your members to contact their MPs and raise the issue of prostate cancer screening.Get ready for the consultation we will need every group, every voice, every experience feeding in when it opens. This is a pivotal moment. By standing together and mobilising our networks, we can influence national policy and help save lives through earlier diagnosis. Our Vice- Chair and ardent prostate cancer campaigner Tony Collier, gives us a very clear message: “This is the time to stand together. If every group leader encourages their members to act, we will show the country the power of our community. Together, we can turn this consultation into real change.” |
| Hot Topics |
 This month’s Hot Topics is packed with information you’ll want to share with your members. From news on NICE reviewing outdated treatment guidelines, to new NHS and Prostate Cancer Research awareness campaigns, through to opportunities to join focus groups shaping future clinical trials, there’s plenty to keep people informed and involved. You’ll also find details of inclusive research at King’s College London for LGBTQ+ patients and partners, and dates for upcoming national and specialist support groups. Please do forward Hot Topics on to your members, it’s a simple way to keep them connected and engaged with the latest developments. |
| Group Leaders Meeting |
 Our next Support Group Leaders Meeting will be held from 11.00am-12.30pm on Tuesday October 7th. A reminder and further details will be sent out in due course.Please note this is a change to the original time as PCUK are holding a webinar – “From Ideas to Impact: Putting new treatments in the hands of men” from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM |
| Group Spotlight |
 Celebrating 10 Years of North Hampshire Prostate Cancer Support GroupAt the end of August, the North Hampshire Prostate Cancer Support Group marked its 10th anniversary with a wonderful barbecue at Monk Sherborne Village Hall. Stuart and I were delighted to join the committee and members to celebrate this milestone. It was a great and joyful afternoon, bringing together current members, founding members, and even some who had been part of the group in its earliest days. We were also joined by Sally Sawyer, the cancer nurse specialist who originally set up the group ten years ago, a powerful reminder of how professional vision and community energy can build something lasting. North Hampshire PCSG is a vibrant, forward-looking group. Alongside their monthly speaker meetings, they have developed a hub-and-spoke approach with a range of offshoot activities, from weekly social gatherings, including Pint and Chat meetings, a weekly exercise class and a partners group, these networks meet the varied needs of people living with and affected by prostate cancer. This diversity of opportunities means members can connect in the way that suits them best, whether that’s listening to an expert speaker, joining a social activity, or simply sharing a coffee or a pint and conversation. We want to celebrate the achievements of the North Hampshire group, but also to highlight their model as an inspiration. Building different types of spaces for connection, big and small, formal and informal, strengthens a group’s reach and resilience. It offers something for everyone and helps sustain energy over the long term. Congratulations again to North Hampshire on ten fantastic years, and here’s to many more. |
| Actions for this month |
| Sign up and share the Proactive for Your Prostate campaign (Prostate Cancer Research).Encourage your members to contact their MPs about prostate cancer screening.Get ready for the national screening committee consultation, it’s coming later this year, and every voice will count.Promote peer support in your group: remind people that connection and lived experience make the biggest difference at diagnosis and beyond.Collect stories from your group members and record any activities that highlight the benefit of all the amazing work you do as group leaders and organisers, and then let us know. |
| And finally… |
| A Closing Reflection: No Such Thing as a “Good” Cancer People sometimes say, “If you’re going to get cancer, prostate cancer is the one to have.” But there is no such thing as a good cancer. Every diagnosis disrupts lives, not only for the person receiving it, but also for partners, families, and loved ones. I know this more deeply now, walking alongside my husband Bruce through his diagnosis and treatment. Cancer brings uncertainty, exhaustion, and fear. Yet in the middle of that storm, there is something that makes a profound difference: peer support. To sit with others who understand, to hear “me too,” to find hope in someone else’s story, that connection is priceless. Our support groups are where that happens. They are where people find their footing when the ground has shifted. They are where courage is borrowed, reassurance is offered, and joy is still found in small moments. As you lead your groups, please know that the work you do is never small. It is life-changing. By opening your doors, by listening, by making space for honesty, you are giving people something the health system alone cannot provide: solidarity, compassion, and community. There is no such thing as a good cancer. But there is good support, good people, and good reasons for hope. And that is what we create together. Thank you for all you do |
