Review of 2006

Another year has gone by and the BBCSHG continues to welcome new members through our information leaflets amd meeting diary cards given out by the Breast Care Nurses.Over the last twelve months our average attendance at meetings has been 25. We continue to meet at the Ark and our thanks go to them for providing this facility.

Once again we have had a very busy year, which started with our January meeting being filmed by Meridian with several of our members being interviewed on how they had coped with their diagnosis and what it had meant to be a part of the group.
We have welcomed several guest speakers to our meetings over the last twelve months, these include Mr Harris (Breast Cancer Surgeon) Shelagh Goddard (Lead Cancer Nurse) and Jane Butley who came to talk about alternative nipple replacements for women who have masectomies. We also had talks from Kathy Williams (Alternative Therapist) and Pamela Woolford (Nutrionist).

We were also contacted by the Prostrate Cancer group earlier in the year regarding a visit from Professor Jane Plant to the Ark. Professor Plant contracted breast cancer in 1987 and had five recurrences, but finally defeated her breast cancer by using her training and knowledge as a natural scientist to understand it and overcome it.This talk took place in October at the Ark and was well supported.

Our main fundraising event took place in July at Dummer Cricket Club. This was a summer hogroast and dance and was a great success thanks to the continued support of all our families and friends and supporters of the group. We also took part in the Race for Life raising funds for Cancer Research UK.
This review would not be complete without mentioning Anne Vickery(one of the groups founder members).She has worked throughout the year raising funds for the Opdima Machine which provides a digitally enhanced mammogram and is a much more effective way of detecting otherwise missed tumours. The fundraising has taken a variety of activities ,much of which has been raised by the Academy(a local club in Basingstoke) who have hosted monthly fundraising events and not forgetting Mr Harris and some of his nursing team who cycled from the Diagnostic Centre in Basingstoke to Winchester.

Throughout the year the group has enjoyed several social events. The first was a meal at a local pub and then a skittles evening to which partners were invited and finally we enjoyed a christmas meal together in December.