The Secondary Breast Cancer Taskforce is delighted to announce it will be holding its first campaigning event Time to be heard: Giving a voice to people with secondary breast cancer in Westminster on the 24th October, from 5-7pm, in the Robert Perks room, Westminster Central Hall.
The aim of the Taskforce is to improve the treatment, support and care of people living with secondary breast cancer, and this event is a unique opportunity for patients, health professionals, policy makers and MP’s to come together and share their views on how this aim can be achieved. The event will also be an opportunity to learn more about the work of the Secondary Breast Cancer Taskforce and meet Taskforce members.
Two of the Taskforce’s key priorities will be raised at the event; the need for cancer registries to collect data on the incidence of secondary breast cancer, and the need to ensure all secondary breast cancer patients have a key worker.
If you would like to attend Time to be heard, please contact Chris Quince, Policy and Campaigns assistant, on 020 7960 3569 or <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%63%68%72%69%73%74%6f%70%68%65%72%71%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%63%68%72%69%73%74%6f%70%68%65%72%71%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script> . If you would like any help with travel costs in order to attend the event please let us know in advance by contacting Chris by 8 October 2007. Please note we are happy to help with travel for anyone attending who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. If you need to bring a guest with you due to health reasons we can also assist with their travel costs. We are happy for people to bring a guest to the event as long as they let us know in advance so we can keep an eye on numbers.
Further details about the event will be appearing on our website shortly.
With kindest regards
Dora Wheeler, Secondary Taskforce Project Worker
Just to fill the audience at a stage managed event? Really don’t think so.
Actually, this announcement depressed me greatly. Getting some stats was one of the FIRST tasks given to the Secondary Breast Cancer Taskforce and only now are they doing anything.
Getting stats is not an end in itself, but a first step towards getting adequate and appropriate treatment and resources for us.
I also don’t need BCC’s help with meeting my MP and I’ll decide what issues I raise with her, in my private capacity as as when I feel it is necessary…
I’m sad this announcement depressed you, Holeybones. Being used to agencies and NGO’s paving our pathway to hell with their good intentions, I’m glad there is some action now.
All events are stage managed to a degree. Whilst this kind of event gives people an opportunity to pursue their personal agenda, if that agenda includes raising the profile of the needs of people with secondaries and putting pressure on to define and demand resources and to act as advocates for those too far away or too unwell or too busy to attend, I hope the BCC membership will be well represented.
It’s great Holeybones, that you tackle your M.P. and get her onside. One of the feminist messages I agree with is “the personal is political”. We can be politically active from our phones and keyboards.
Perhaps staging such an event is getting BCC to make the policy makers to take steps necessary to get the stats together at last, as you so rightly say, in order to DO something with the information they reveal about the extent of the resource shortfall. It would be a living wonder if at a stroke key workers were also appointed to all BC secondary patients - if there’s enough noise made about it, it will be difficult for the gov. to say no. Glad to know you may attend, Fay and hope there’ll be a goodly crowd. If we don’t stand up to be counted, who will do it for us? Go make some noise!!
Hello Lynn
Glad you’re going Lynn. I’m sure between us we can make a lot of noise and even if it is stage managed I’m sure we can find a way to get our views across - we sort of managed that at Exeter didn’t we!!
Jenny and Fay - it will be good to meet you after all our comments to each other on the other threads. Lynn and I met at the younger women’s forum in Exeter last october (our table caused havoc - hope they don’t try to split me and lynn up then !!!) and still keep in regular contact.
Looking forward to meeting you all
Kate
Hi chums
Well I hope to go along… these meetings are important to give strength and know you are not along. The louder we shout and kick up a fuss the better… see you all in London.Let us all be in good voice x onetit
I agree with Holeybones that the event will be stage managed but that’s the name of the game with corporate charities. But no one can stage manage our voices. I’m glad this event is happening in ‘pink October’. I think BCC has been incredibly slow in getting action on the secondaries taskforce and that it can’t be rocket science to organise a quick successful campaign to get stats on nos living with stage 4 disaese.
In my experience the breast acncr charities are very good at stage managing events (as are most respectable do gooding charities) but that is no reason for our voices to be silenced or intimidated.
I’d love to meet you all, but I live in Europe (yeah, I know UK qualifies…) so wont be there with you this time. I may be in UK in the spring so if there’s another meeting…
You’ll just have to make a noise for me! You’re an assertive and articulate bunch so that wont be difficult.