THE DIFFERENCE WE’VE MADE Life-changing support services People can go through many emotions after finding out they have breast cancer. It can take a toll on wellbeing and self-esteem. So having access to the right support and information is crucial. Over the last 20 years, your generosity has helped us to maintain, adapt and grow our services. So we can keep providing life-changing support to people affected by breast cancer. Here are just a few highlights from some of the support services that your donations have helped make possible. Helpline and Ask Our Nurses Breast cancer and breast health can be hard to make sense of. Our specialist team are here to help, on our helpline and Ask Our Nurses email. People get in touch about topics from breast cancer symptoms to treatment and side effects. Or just for emotional support. During the COVID-19 lockdown, your support helped us to run these services remotely, keeping them open and free to anyone affected by breast cancer. Almost every person (92%) who completed a survey about the helpline reported that they felt less alone after calling. “Thank you for listening and caring while I cried. You got me through an incredibly challenging year of treatment.“ – Helpline caller Someone Like Me Someone Like Me is our peer support service for people affected by primary breast cancer. We match people with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience. They’re a phone call or email away to answer questions, offer support or listen. Our Someone Like Me service is growing. It’s now available in over 20 languages and last year we made 32% more matches than in 2020 to 2021, with 92% of users feeling more positive after talking to a volunteer. “They gave me reassurance and understanding at a time I was feeling overwhelmed… I’m quite isolated, and having her to talk to and even laugh with really helped.“ – Someone Like Me service user SUPPORT 8 | 20 years of partnership with ghd Moving Forward Moving Forward is our course for people finishing hospital-based treatment for primary breast cancer. Giving them the tools they need to feel more empowered, confident and in control. Ready to move forward with life. Moving Forward makes a difference. 89% of participants said that hearing the experiences of others in a similar situation has helped or will help them move forward with their own breast cancer experience. Before Moving Forward, 41% of attendees said they felt alone. A month after the course, this dropped to 8%. Younger Women Together Last year, more younger women used our services than ever before. Younger Women Together is our series of events specifically for women aged 20 to 45. 93% of people who’ve come to a Younger Women Together event would be likely to recommend it to others. “I feel much less alone after attending the sessions. To see other women of my age with my same problems was very comforting and bolstering.“ – Younger Women Together participant Living with Secondary Breast Cancer Our Living with Secondary Breast Cancer support groups are a chance for people with secondary breast cancer to talk, listen and learn. We run 25 face-to-face sessions monthly across the UK. And we’ve expanded our remote support with online groups and expert speaker sessions. “I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the women in the support groups. I was very early in my diagnosis and their strength and resilience have helped me come to terms with it.“ – Living with Secondary Breast Cancer participant With you by our side, we’ll continue to be here for anyone affected by breast cancer.
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