This International Women’s Day we are celebrating incredible women who are helping to support those touched by breast cancer and have created groups and communities of women offering special and important peer support through a breast cancer diagnosis and beyond.
These women have created support group meet ups for different communities, brought together women going through similar experiences and given them a platform to reach for peer support.
The support groups and community meet ups set up by these wonderful women use the Future Dreams House as a safe and inclusive space to welcome others and their place of solidarity and empowerment.
From the Breast Mates, created for women across the MET who have had breast cancer or are going through the treatment, to the new South Asian community meet-up, created to break down barriers and provide emotional and practical support to this community, these community groups are positively impacting the lives of those touched by breast cancer.
Read more about the communities set up and created by these inspirational women below and find out how you can get involved or seek peer support.
Black Women Rising
Leanne Pero
The Black Women Rising cancer support project is the flagship programme of The Leanne Pero Foundation, a registered UK charity offering vital help, information and practical advice for people of colour who have been diagnosed with cancer. There are monthly meet ups at Future Dreams House, to book or for more information CLICK HERE.
Breast Mates
Tara McGowan
Tara set up the Breast Mates- a group of women across the MET who have had breast cancer or are going through the treatment. Some of them are going through secondary breast cancer and Future Dreams is the place that brings them all together.
Samosa, Chaat & Chat
Dr Jasdeep Gahir and Dr Fharat Raja
This is a new community meet up hosted by Dr Fharat Raja and Dr Jasdeep Gahir, in partnership with Palmer’s. The workshops supported by Palmer’s provide a non-clinical, friendly, safe, and nurturing environment to open up about personal situations and the opportunity to form peer friendships whilst growing their support networks. Going forward, workshops will be held monthly at Future Dreams House.
Secondary Sisters
Nicky and Laura
This community group supports Sisters in the Secondary Cancer Community. The group, founded by Nicky and Laura, gather monthly at the house and create a safe place to connect with other Secondary Sisters to give an insight into what it’s like to live with the disease, and share everything we know about learning to live with cancer.
The BRCA Project
Carly and Charlie
Charlie and Carly host a monthly ‘BRCA meet-up’ for those that carry the BRCA gene. Charlie is a campaigner who raises awareness for the BRCA gene. In 2020, she set up The BRCA Project (@thebrcaproject): an Instagram campaign that invites BRCA mutation carriers to tell their story, aiming to build a diverse BRCA community and make information about BRCA more accessible. Carly is a breast cancer survivor and Advocate Wellness Coach, speaker and writer. With a history of breast cancer in her family, Carly shared her own breast cancer story on social media from diagnosis through to her all clear and beyond, she spreads hope to a community providing a pocketful of love for those that need it. There are monthly meet ups at Future Dreams House, to book or for more information CLICK HERE.
We would also like to highlight Joanna Franks, a Future Dreams Trustee and Consultant Breast & Oncoplastic Surgeon. She recently shared her background in becoming a breast surgeon, breast awareness, signs and symptoms, screening and reconstructive surgery at the first Cambridge Pink Week MedSoc Breast Awareness Conference.
If you would like to find out more about any of these support groups, you can look at our community groups on the Momence booking system, or email info@futuredreams.org.uk
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Sylvie and Danielle began Future Dreams with just £100 in 2008. They believed nobody should face breast cancer alone. Their legacy lives on in Future Dreams House. We couldn’t continue to fund support services for those touched by breast cancer, raise awareness of breast cancer and promote early diagnosis and advance research into secondary breast cancer without your help. Please consider partnering with us or making a donation.