Hi all, I wonder if the Secondary team at BCC would like to post something to let us know how the Awareness Day went - re: mentions in the media, the Westminster lobbying, tweets/blogging etc. We mets ladies would like to work with you (well I would, anyway) to raise awareness year-by-year. So… did it go better than in 2013?
I would like to know too? Ethel
And me
Hi all
Just to let you know that the team are aware of this thread and will post with details very soon
Best wishes
Lucy BCC
Dear Everyone
This years Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness day has been the most successful to date.
We had more media coverage than ever before including articles in The Daily Mail, The Sun and on Sky News Radio and LBC Radio.
17 MPs attended our Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness event in Parliament on 15<sup>th</sup> October. All were keen to help improve care and support for people affected by secondary breast cancer.
The MPs spoke with the six volunteeers representing women with secondary breast cancer who attended the event. They spoke to them about their experiences of living with secondary breast cancer. We also spoke to them about the results of our survey on secondary breast cancer, which focussed on the impact of pain and the importance of timely access to palliative care services. You can read our blog post on the event here.
We are continuing to speak with MPs about these issues and will be handing in our petition, which calls on the UK and Devolved Governments to make secondary breast cancer a priority, to Downing Street on 1 December. The petition currently has just under 11,400 signatures, which is fantastic. Thanks to everyone who has signed and shared the petition so far. There is still time to sign and share before the hand in, so please do continue to help us promote it as the more signatures we have the more impact it will make. We are still looking for people to join us at the hand in. If you are interested, please (mailto:campaigns@breastcancercare.org.uk) us or call the campaigns team on 0207 960 3484.
Secondary breast cancer is a key area for our Policy & Campaigns team. As mentioned in our recent forum post, the team has recently grown which means we are able to really ramp up our influencing work in this area. We’ll be continuing to campaign for improvements in care and support for those living with secondary breast cancer, through picking up our Spotlight on Secondary Breast Cancer Campaign. We’ll of course keep you updated on this and ways to work with us in the coming months.
Thank you for all the support you have shown and given both to Breast Cancer Care and especially each other.
Best wishes
Anna
Forum Coordinator
Thanks Anna. A step in the right direction methinks.
However… a step in the WRONG direction from another medical charity,
Please can someone from BCC respond to this thread.
Well… candle pin, I have been put in contact with someone in BCC and I am hopeful that it will happen. Not sure about a separate funding stream, it seems it is already possible for donations to BCC to be targeted specifically for secondary bc, but I have never seen this publicised by BCC.
So, folks, what do WE want to see? I don’t care that much if we are pink, orange or ultra-violet (now there’s an idea!) but I do get irritated by BCC deciding what the focus of SBC awareness should be, without asking us (the does-she-take-sugar approach). Do we want to make things grim, to let people know that breast cancer is a killer? Or to make sure those with a primary diagnosis - and their friends and family - know that the cancer may return? Or to support and encourage those with a recent secondary diagnosis, or the “double whammy” (my own situation) and tell them there is a life still to be lived? Or all of these? Or…
Now it’s over to you.