Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group

Newsletter January 2017    HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NEXT GROUP MEETING - Monday 23 January 6.30 for 7.00 p.m. at Oxford Golf Club, Hill Top Road, OX4 1PF

Julie Binnee, lead urology nurse at the Churchill, who is known to many of our members personally from their visits to Urology, will speak about her work and how her team interacts with men diagnosed for treatment.  OPCSG recently sponsored Julie to attend the conference of the British Association of Urological Nurses and she will report back on what she learnt there.  Please bring a raffle prize if you can.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 2017

At the AGM in March we need to fill vacancies on the Committee.  We hope to have filled the role of Secretary, but there are not enough of us to carry out all the tasks without further help.  If you are able to contribute to the planning and decision making of the group, as well as running events, we are eager to hear from you.  To get an idea of what is involved, you’d be welcome to attend a Committee meeting before March.  Please contact me or talk to a Committee member to find out what is involved. 

Volunteers are always needed to help at AWARENESS EVENTS including 4 March at Oxford United FC; 26 June Cassington Bike Night; 22 July Witney Vintage Steam Fair; 27 August Uffington White Horse Fair.  These events are our main opportunity to spread our message to the public – GET CHECKED!  Please let us know any dates when you can help.

NEXT EVENT: Oxford United’s home match on Saturday 4 March.  To cover the area we need a larger group of volunteers than usual, up to 16 people.  There’s usually a free ticket to the match for those who help out.  This is primarily a fund raising event jointly with PCUK.  Please mark the date and come along if you can – but let me beforehand via email or phone, contact details below.

VISIT TO THE RESEARCH LABS OF CANCER RESEARCH UK - 9 MARCH

CRUK has kindly agreed to offer another visit to their fascinating research labs on the Old Road Campus, near the Churchill, exclusively for OPCSG members - Thursday 9 March from 1.30 to 4 p.m. The event will showcase the importance and breadth of cancer research in Oxford, as well as clinical trials. If you would like to join the visiting group (maximum 14 people), please let me know – contact details below. 

CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN AN IMPROVEMENT OF CONTINENCE PRODUCTS

We know that continence problems can be an unwelcome side effect following treatment for prostate cancer.  An opportunity has arisen for anyone interested to participate in a short interview with a design company, if you are suffering with incontinence issues.  The design company NATIVE is working with medical company COLOPLAST to design a product for men who are suffering with urinary incontinence. They want to remove the stigma and provide men with a better solution to help them regain control.

They are hoping to reach out to a few members who might be interested in participating in an interview over the next month. The interviews will be 100% confidential, and will be conducted in accordance with the MRS code of conduct. The interviews will last for 1 hour each, and each participant will be compensated £70 for their time.  It will be first come first served, and if you are interested please contact Charlotte Robus at charlotte@native.com or call her on 07932 814605 to discuss further.

OPCSG RECEIVES GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM THE MASONS AND OXFORDSHIRE WELSH SOCIETY

In November OPCSG was honoured to receive a generous gift from Alfred Lodge of the Masons. They donated £800, which was made up to £900 with a further cheque from the Masons' provincial funds. OPCSG Chairman John Grundy is seen receiving the cheque at a recent Masonic charity evening from Alan Knowles, Provincial Grand Master, David Wright, Master of Alfred Lodge, Tom Edwards, Charity Steward, Alfred Lodge, and Bob Greenwell, Immediate Past Master of Alfred Lodge.

More recently OPCSG has received a magnificent cheque for £1000 from the Oxfordshire Welsh Society and we are very grateful for their support.  In the photo OPCSG Treasurer John Goldsmith (left) is seen receiving the cheque from Welsh Society Chairman John Prout.  The Society will be holding an evening of Welsh male voice choir singing in Oxford Town Hall on 4 March and is again offering the proceeds of the evening to OPCSG.  Diolch!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2017

Your Committee has been able to fix what we hope will be an interesting and stimulating programme of meetings for this year.  If you have not yet attended a group meeting, be aware that they provide not only a chance to hear a guest speaker but also plenty of time to meet other members, discuss mutual issues and share the experience of being a patient of prostate cancer.

2017 GROUP MEETINGS, Mondays 6.30 for 7.00 p.m. at Oxford Golf Club, Hill Top Road, OX4 1PF

23 January with Julie Binnee, lead urology nurse at the Churchill;

13 March AGM with consultants Simon Brewster and Andrew Protheroe;

24 April with physiotherapist Jane Newman;   12 June, programme tbc;

11 September on clinical trials with Nikki Hayward, Senior Nurse, Research and Engagement, CRUK;

16 October, programme tbc. 

2017 SOCIAL EVENTS: Sunday 25 June, river cruise from Wallingford; Saturday 9 December skittles.

If you no longer wish to receive this Newsletter please let me know on johngrundy191@gmail.com or 01865 730110.  For news updates keep an eye on our website at www.opcsg.org.

John Grundy                                                                          Chairman, OPCSG