Breast Cancer Support Services in the UK | Your Cancer Services

16 October 2024 — lia-rogers

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the UK and accounts for 15% of all new cancer diagnoses.

As more than 1 in 10 women receive a late diagnosis, it is always recommended you perform regular self-checks and if you suspect anything unusual, do consult with your GP as soon as possible.

For those living with breast cancer, help is at hand both locally and nationally across the UK. We’ve looked at some of the support organisations available across the UK and broken them down into both national and regional services to help you find the breast cancer services available to you.

National

Breast Cancer Now

Charity providing care, information, and support to people living with breast cancer. It offers online support, courses and a helpline ran by specialist nurses. The charity also funds an exception breast cancer research team.

Nicola Jane

A specialist retailer supplying mastectomy and post-surgery fashion, including a wide selection of pocketed bras, pocketed swimwear, clothes, and prostheses, suitable for all types of breast surgery. The customer service team can be contacted for expert product and virtual fitting advice as well as nationwide fitting clinics.

Word Cancer Research Fund Breast Cancer Hub

Find information on signs and symptoms, prevention and risk factors, treatment and living with breast cancer, as well as diet and lifestyle guidance.

North West

The Marina Dalglish Appeal
Charity organisation centre for women living with breast cancer. Services include reiki, reflexology and treatments that are used to help and ease the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Additionally, hair and nail treatments are offered, along with an opportunity to share experiences with women in similar situations.

Ribble Valley Breast Friends

Support group for women living with or beyond breast cancer. It offers an opportunity to talk to others in a similar situation, and provides information on all aspects of dealing with breast cancer. Services also include art therapy sessions, complementary therapies, and psychotherapy.

Manchester Dragoneers Breast Cancer Team

Dragon boat team for people living with and beyond breast cancer and those supporting them. Dragon boating is a low impact physical activity and the emphasis is on fun, friendship and mutual support rather than on racing. Meeting at 10am every Saturday, the aim of sessions is to help emotionally and physically. No experience is needed.

North East

Coping With Cancer North East

Charity offering a range of complementary therapies, coaching, counselling and acupuncture for anyone affected by cancer. It has a team of staff, all professionally accredited and trained to offer emotional, mental, and physical health support.

Daft As A Brush

Free transport service that assists people to and from the hospital for cancer outpatient appointments. If required, a member of the Daft as a Brush team can also stay with the patient whilst they have their treatment and then bring them back home.

Yorkshire

Cavendish Cancer Care
Charity working alongside the NHS, offering support services for people living with cancer. It offers a peer-to-peer telephone support services, professional counselling and therapy that complements and supports medical treatment.

Rotherham Cancer Care Centre
Rotherham Cancer Care Centre supports those have cancer or have been affected by cancer. Through one to one assessment they give people time to talk about their fears and concerns and provide complementary therapies and/or counselling to improve quality of life.

West Midlands

Breast Friends Sutton Coldfield

Breast cancer support group based at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, run by volunteers who all have experience with breast cancer. They help women living with breast cancer through a difficult time by offering friendship, support, emotional and practical help.

Help Harry Help Others

Support centre offering a ‘home from home’ environment, social activities and workshops, advice on housing, finances and benefits as well as emotional support and counselling as well as complementary therapies.

Walsall Breast Cancer Self-Help Group 

Peer support group offering support, advice and information to people living with and beyond breast cancer, their loved ones and carers.

Bounce Back

Leamington Spa support group run by and for local women who have had a breast cancer diagnosis to come together and share experiences and find emotional support.

Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer

Charity for people living with and beyond breast cancer. It offers advice, friendship and support including social meet ups, a community choir, financial help and information about the condition. It has virtual meet ups via Zoom and face to face meet ups.

East Midlands

Maggie’s Nottingham

Support centre providing information, activities and a space to meet and share experiences with others. Services include support groups, welfare and benefits advice, wellbeing workshops and complementary therapies. 

Together Against Cancer

Charity that provides support to people living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. It supports people through education, complementary therapies, public awareness and offers nutritional guidance, practical workshops and one-to-one therapies.

East of England

Big C – Norfolk’s Cancer Charity
The centre offers a variety of cancer-related information and services such as scarf tying, complementary therapies, counselling, family support, relaxation group, nutrition group and men’s cancer group.

Cambridge Cancer Help Centre

Cancer help centre that offers emotional, practical and social support to anyone affected by cancer. Its services include bereavement support, carer support, courses for managing stress, gardening groups and fitness classes

South West

Bosom Buddies

Support group for people living with breast cancer. It offers social meetups for mutual support, informal chat and a cup of tea, meetings with speakers and occasional social outings.

Going for Bust

Breast cancer charity offering relaxation sessions, massage, wig fitting and post-surgery bra services for people living with breast cancer at its centre in Wimborne Minster. It raises funds through its charity shops located across the East Dorset and West Hampshire areas to support local hospitals and support groups

South East

Bosom Friends

Support group offering practical help, advice and emotional support to people living with breast cancer. The group provides an opportunity to share experiences at monthly meetings in volunteers’ homes.

Victoria’s Promise

Charity that supports young women living with cancer. Its services include oncology massage therapies, beauty and skincare guidance and advice, counselling, and coaching, loved one’s support, oncology yoga and oncology physical training sessions.

London

Where Now @ Maggies

Free course for women who have completed treatment for primary breast cancer. It runs in person over 8 weeks including topics such as managing anxiety and stress, fear of recurrence, keeping active, eating healthily, hormones, fatigue and more. It is led by a clinical psychologist and cancer support specialist. 

Coppa Feel

This charity are the first breast cancer charity in the UK to solely create awareness amongst young people, with the aim of instilling the knowledge and tools they need to get to know their bodies.

Northern Ireland

Pretty n Pink

Support centre providing information and advice to people living with breast cancer. It offers counselling, emotional support and provides complementary therapies such as reiki, Indian head massage, therapeutic touch and reflexology.

Lilac Cancer Care

Charity that provides support services to those who are living with and affected by cancer. The centre is open Monday to Friday to give information and to signpost to other services available in the area. Services include complimentary therapy, bra and swimwear fittings, counselling, horticultural therapy, support groups and a transport service. 

Scotland

Something Pretty

Mastectomy bra and breast form specialist shop selling a range of breast forms, undergarments and swimwear all designed specifically for women who have had breast surgery. A breast form is an artificial breast made of silicone or foam that replaces the missing breast after breast surgery, they are worn by inserting them into a pocketed bra or swimsuit or can be attached directly to the body. 

Clan Cancer Support

Across Scotland, Clan Cancer is a support service offering emotional and social support to anyone affected by cancer. The service offers complementary and relaxation therapies at various centres as well as virtually for the people of Scotland.

House of Hope

Community-based support and wellbeing centre supporting people impacted by breast cancer. It offers holistic care and emotional and practical support including free workshops, classes, holistic therapies and support groups. Facilities include wellbeing studios, bespoke hair and wig salon, therapy rooms and a family space.

Wales

Pontyclun Bosom Pals

Breast cancer group that provides support for people living with breast cancer. The group aims to emotionally support members and to provide beneficial information as well as share experiences with others in the similar situations.

Breast Friends Cardiff

Support group for both men and women who have or have had breast cancer. They hold meetings in both Cardiff and Barry once a month and also organise walks to meet with other people living with breast cancer.