Support groups and emotional support

Some of the websites mentioned on this page provide other information and/or services besides support groups or emotional support.

Where possible our links will direct you to the specific web page containing the information we refer to below rather than the home page of an organisation.

Counselling and emotional support

BACP (The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) provides a range of contact sheets and factsheets, including choosing a counsellor. BACP can provide details of local counsellors, including those who have specialised training around cancer or other illnesses and those who may be able to provide free or low cost counselling or offer concessions.

Cancerbackup can provide emotional support and information via their freephone helpline, by email or post.

Marie Curie Cancer Care offer the free booklet, Talking to children when someone close is very ill (pdf 445KB, new window).

Rip Rap offers information and advice for 12-16 year olds who have a parent with cancer. Their website includes stories from young people, information and tips to help understand and deal with what is going on in a family going through this situation.

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Support groups - general

Your District Nurse should be able to provide information about local support groups for people who have cancer or other diseases, or for carers.

Befriending Network Scotland provides information about its befriending service, which offers supportive relationships through volunteer befrienders to people in Scotland who are socially isolated because of ill health or for other reasons. It also provides links to other befriending projects around the UK.

Cancerbackup has local centres and can provide information about other local organisations and support groups.

Macmillan publishes a directory of local self-help and support groups for people who have cancer.

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Support groups for specific cancers

Brain cancer

Brain Tumour Action provides information on local support groups. Some of these are groups for people with a brain tumour, others are for their family/carer, and others are joint groups for patients and carers.

Breast cancer

Breast Cancer Care provides information about people you can talk to, including telephone support groups and one to one peer support, as well as local support groups.

Laryngectomees

The National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs provides a list of affiliated clubs for laryngectomees.

Leukaemia

Leukaemia Care provides contact details for local support groups.

Liver cancer

The British Liver Trust provides details of support groups around the UK.

Lung cancer

British Lung Foundation provides meeting details for local Breathe Easy support groups.

The Roy Castle Lung Foundation provides a list of towns and cities with support groups.

Lymphoma

The Lymphoma Association provides emotional support and information on a range of issues to anyone with lymphatic cancer and their families, carers and friends. Its home page provides links to the association’s buddy scheme and information on its network of support groups.

Lymphoedema

The Lymphoedema Support Network website provides a list of support groups.

Myeloma

International Myeloma Foundation lists local support groups around the world, including in the UK.

Ovarian cancer

Ovacome offers a nationwide telephone support network of Fone Friends who have had ovarian cancer and are happy to talk to others. The contacts page will provide the current number for Fone Friends.

Prostate cancer

The Prostate Cancer Charity provides information on independent local support groups.

Thyroid cancer

The British Thyroid Foundation provides contact details for local support groups (click ‘for patients’ on the front page for more options, including information on local groups).

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Support groups for other conditions

AIDS & HIV

Terrence Higgins Trust provides information about local support including counselling and group support.

Alzheimer's

The Alzheimer's Society lists local branches and support groups.

Cerebral palsy

SCOPE provides information about local groups and services for cerebral palsy .

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Emphysema

British Lung Foundation provides meeting details for local Breathe Easy support groups.

Laryngectomees

The National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs provides a list of affiliated clubs for laryngectomees.

Motor Neurone Disease

The Motor Neurone Disease Association lists local support groups.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Society provides information and support from its network of local branches.

Parkinson's

Parkinson’s Disease Society provides information about local branches.

Stroke

The Stroke Association provides information about local support such as stroke clubs for people who have had a stroke or support for their carers.

Urostomy

The Urostomy Association provides a list of branches with contact details.

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Support groups for carers

Carers UK provides information and support to people caring for relatives and friends, with over 100 branches run by carers which refer to local sources of help and support.

Directgov provides information about day care centres and other support
available to carers via their local authority.

Princess Royal Trust for Carers has a network of Carers’ Centres across the UK offering information, support and social activities. Click here for a map.

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General

If I Should Die has a section about terminal illness, with support and advice for people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and for those who want to support them.

Look Good Feel Better offers workshops in beauty and skincare to improve self esteem and wellbeing.

An Art Therapy Journey is a limited edition book published by Dawne Solomons, a patient at the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead, which features her work in art therapy sessions.

Dawne was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. Extracts from the journal she kept throughout her illness appear along with her artwork.

Dawne was keen to produce the book because so many people asked her what art therapy involved.

She said: "I wanted to share these sketches, so that others could understand how art therapy has helped me through some really bad times, and could perhaps help them too.”

Sadly, Dawne died in February 2008, a month after her book was launched. It was her desire that her book could do two things: encourage people with cancer to try art therapy and to raise money for an organisation that had given her so much. The book is available for a minimum donation of £25 and all proceeds go to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

To get a hard copy of the book, please contact Liz Allen Community Fundraising Manager for North London, Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead Tel 020 7853 3442.

It is also available to download free of charge below:

An Art Therapy Journey by Dawne Solomons (pdf, 1MB)

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Please note: Marie Curie Cancer Care provides links to third party websites where appropriate and is not responsible for the availability or content of any of these linked sites.