Support for patients and their carers following a cancer diagnosis is vital.
This can be done in different ways:
- By your hospital team
- A national or local cancer charity
- A support group – talking to other patients and carers either face to face, virtually or via an online forum.
It doesn’t matter where this support comes from or by whom. What matters is that you and your family and friends get the right help and support at the right time and in the right way.
There are several charities within Northumberland and North Tyneside that can help to support you following a cancer diagnosis, during and after treatment. These are:
FACT – Fighting all cancers together – FACT offers support to patients and their families/friends in a non-clinical setting. FACT can offer you the following:
- Practical help & support as well as managing side effects to treatment
- Social and exercise opportunities
- Counselling – for anyone who has been affected by cancer. This can be face to face, online or by telephone.
For more information, please visit their website: https://
Live Well with Cancer – Based in North Tyneside, Live Well with Cancer aims to enable people to live life fully with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Their focus is to empower people through self-help, mutual support and signposting to local services. Live Well with Cancer delivers workshops, hosts events and has exercise programmes that can be adapted to all levels of fitness.
For more information, visit https://
Maggie’s Newcastle – Based in the grounds of the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle. Maggie’s Newcastle offers drop in sessions as well as planned activities to meet your needs. Maggie’s also run a variety of support groups alongside workshops on many different aspects of care including, managing ongoing fatigue and anxiety and coming to the end of treatment – what next?
For more information, visit https://
Mind and Sole - A health and wellbeing group based in Alnwick. They offer many services, such as walking and talking sessions, and host a cancer support group. For more information, visit https://
Support groups in the area
Live Well with Cancer
- Bowel Cancer Support Group: Held monthly. Second Friday every month from 11am to 12.30 pm
- Breast Cancer Support Group: Held monthly. Fourth Monday each month from 7pm to 8.30pm
- Lung Cancer Support Group: Held fortnightly. Second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 11am to 12.30pm
For more information, email info
Maggie’s Newcastle hosts several support groups, dates and times vary. For more information contact Maggies on 0191 233 6600 or emailnewcastle
Mesothelioma support groups
- Washington, first Tuesday of every month, Woodridge Gardens, Washington.
- Darlington Hallgarth Hotel, first Tuesday of each month.
- Virtual Group, second Tuesday of each month.
- Seaburn Grand Hotel, third Tuesday of each month.
For more information, visit www.
North Northumberland Cancer Support Group
Cancer Support Group | Mind and sole (mindandsolealnwick.com)
Meets on the third Monday of every month, 2.30pm – 3.30 pm. For more information, contact mindandsole1
Northern Cancer Voices
Cramlington Peer Support Group: CVA Hub, Manor Walks Shopping Centre, Cramlington. Last Thursday of every month, 10.30am to 12.30pm. For more information, contact info
Northumberland Cancer Patient & Carer Group
Cancer Support, Trinity Methodist Church, Amble. Last Wednesday of every month, 2-4pm
Northumbria Healthcare breast reconstruction support group
For more information, contact the breast care team.
Other ways to support you and your family
Macmillan Buddies
Macmillan Cancer Support offer a telephone buddy service. They can offer a weekly telephone call from one of their trained Macmillan Buddies, for up to 10 sessions. For more information, visit Macmillan Buddies | Macmillan Cancer Support
The Roy Castle Lung Foundation offers a Keep in Touch Support Service which offers regular one-to-one phone support for individuals with a lung cancer diagnosis or their carers. Calls are fortnightly, with up to 12 sessions available. For more information. Visit Telephone support - roycastle.org. The charity also offers online support, held via Zoom. For more information, visit Online support - roycastle.org
Mesothelioma UK
In addition to their Asbestos & Mesothelioma Support North East Group, they offer online support for patients as well as their carers. For more information, visit Support Groups | Mesothelioma UK