• There is no group meeting this month as we have our event on the 15th at the John Burns Foundation; Mags, Carys and I are looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it. 
• Our West Wales group will continue to run both on-line and face to face with Carys leading, and she is also researching new meeting places for future get togethers. Your next meeting is Friday 10th October.
• We are delighted to be working with Sandville Self Help Foundation https://www.sandville.org.uk/ who are based in Cwm Taff, near Bridgend. This is the most tranquil place with incredible volunteers and staff, and Wednesday is their designated day for any one with a cancer diagnosis. Relaxation classes,  an outdoor sensory garden, a welcoming lounge and coffee bar are just some of the tempatations on offer,  and our new 'In this 2gether' group will be starting on the third Wednesday of every month from November 19th, from 2-4pm. Sandville will have their own booking and assessment system and Colette will be working with Carys to launch this service before Carys takes over into 2025. More information on how to access Sandville will be available next month.
• The Snowdrop Centre has become a tricky place to meet as it's now so much busier and parking has become an issue for many. We are trialing a move to Cardiff city Centre, for the next 2 months, so our S Wales group will be meeting on a Friday from 11am - 1pm at The Holiday Inn, Cardiff. Situated opposite Cardiff Castle there is parking available on site and the station is about a 10 minute walk away. Bus routes are also accessible. Dates for the diary are Friday 10th October and Friday 14th November and we are delighted to welcome our new Counsellor and Therapist Cerys to the team, who has extensive experience working with Tenovus and the NHS. She and Colette will be working together to ensure you feel safe and secure following these changes, before Cerys takes over our S Wales group.The lovely Carys (with an A!) will miss the wonderful Cardiff group and will be in touch with you shortly. Rest assured you will still see everyone at workshops and on-line etc, as we feel it important you get to know us all as a team.
• We've taken feedback on board and will be re-introducing our client safety contract which was originally put together with your input, and we'd really like you to participate in any changes to it you think would be helpful within the group structure. Groups can be tricky places and we all bring our own unique personalities, so it's a great opportunity for you to contribute, as well as for us to explain why certain processes need to be in place. Carys, Cerys and I will be discussing this with you at your meetings going forward and welcome feedback as always.

From October our  SE Wales group will be moving venue and meeting day due to some changes taking place in the current premises. More information will be available shortly.

W Wales will be meeting as planned on-line on Friday 10th October, and advertised dates going forwards to the end of the year.

We also have some exciting workshops available to all groups on-line :

Wednesday 10th September 6.30-8pm - POSTPONED; DATE TBC.

Dr Michelle Olver from the South Wales Menopause Clinic will be answering any questions on all things menopause, intimacy, contraception and general sexual health.   Michelle  is a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health and leads the Aneurin Bevan NHS Menopause Service. She has extensive experience in all aspects of contraception and general sexual health and prides herself in giving women time to tell their story and to manage them holistically.  We will email for questions in advance nearer the time. South Wales Menopause Clinic | Home

Tuesday 14^th October 6.30-7.30pm

Lucy James, a legal spokesperson from Macmillan will be answering questions and giving advice about making wills and any other family law issues  relating to your diagnosis, together with concerns around forward planning. We will email for questions in advance nearer the time.

Monday 3^rd November, 6-7.30pm

Our annual Q&A session with our amazing Secondary Clinical Nurse Specialists. We will email for your questions in advance nearer the time.

December: A festive buffet to end 2025 on your designated meeting days 

Tuesday 13^th January 2026, 6.30-8pm:  Managing Medical Anxiety

Colette Hart established ‘In this 2gether’ with Mags four years ago, following their collaboration with Breast Cancer Now where Colette facilitated their secondary breast cancer group. As the only certified Medical Trauma Psychotherapist in the UK, Colette works with all areas of medical trauma and medical anxiety. This session will be a conversational approach to what happens when we struggle with any medical interactions and interventions and how we can take back control over our anxieties, leading to a sense of empowerment. https://www.heart2hartsolutions.co.uk

🎉 New Nurse Appointments  We’re thrilled to announce the appointment of a secondary breast cancer nurse for the Aneurin Bevan Health Board, alongside another nurse who will be supporting Gail Williams in Cwm Taff. Both will begin their roles this autumn.

🌟 Changes in Hywel Dda  There’s movement happening in Hywel Dda as well—following Niamh Dunn’s promotion, her role and one additional post will soon be filled. We’ll keep you updated as things progress.

🤝 More Support Groups Coming Your Way  Thanks to your feedback and the growing Macmillan secondary nurse network in Wales, we’re expanding our educational support groups:

• Confirmed locations: Bridgend (Sandville Centre), Aneurin Bevan area, and Cardiff
• West Wales: Details coming soon
• North Wales: Still facing challenges in referrals, but we’re working on it - if you know of any North Wales Ladies please put them in touch with us.

💻 New Online Group Launching  We’ll be launching an all-Wales online support group starting Wednesday 3rd September from 7–8pm. It will run quarterly in the evenings, with plans to increase frequency in 2026 if we see strong participation. We’re also planning monthly online sessions with expert speakers, plus a stronger social media presence to help spread the word more easily.

👥 Meet Our Growing Team  Mags will be bringing on a part-time admin superstar to help with loose ends, and Colette will be returning to collaborate with Carys on the growth and structure of our support groups. Going forward, groups will be led by Carys and our new Counsellor, with Colette providing support—so you’ll get to know each of our team members even better!

📅 Upcoming Event – Save the Date!  Our postponed event at John Burns is now rescheduled for Monday 15th September, provisionally from 10am–4:30pm. We’ll send out a full itinerary soon. Please feel free to invite any women you know living with secondary breast cancer—it’s going to be an uplifting day!

In the meantime, we wish you a lovely, restful summer and can’t wait to reconnect with you all soon. Thank you—as always—for your continued support and encouragement. You’re the heart of everything we do.

A BIG THANK YOU from all of us at ‘In this 2gether’ 💖

Dates for 2025 meetings are as follows:

S E Wales; CARDIFF Group, meeting at The Snowdrop Centre. near the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Mondays from 2 - 4pm

13^th Oct , 10^th Nov , 8^th Dec

WEST WALES; Fridays on-line from 11am - 1pm

10th October, 7th November, 5th December

All Wales on-line drop in:

Tuesday December 2nd, 6.30 - 7.30pm

Links to other charity’s will be on the Padlet which is coming soon. In the meantime please see below :

Cancer Aid Merthyr

Rowan Tree Cancer Care

Bill Cap - WaterSure Wales tariff | Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (dwrcymru.com)

Short Breaks | 4 Cancer | Days out for families affected by cancer

Last minute – Something To Look Forward (somethingtolookforwardto.org.uk)

https://www.4cancer.org/about-us

Cancer Charity | Jill's Fundraising Journey | England (jillsfundraisingjourney.co.uk)

Group meetings can be a bit like pic n' mix......our personalities whilst all lovely, are also flawed, purely because we're all human beings! We each have good parts and not so good parts, bringing them all together in a room or on a screen can create an eclectic mix, that can be may things, exciting, uplifting, energising, irritating or frustrating, depending on how we feel on a particular day. Our group meetings need to feel safe and protected and for that to happen it's important to establish some housekeeping boundaries, so we can all relate to each other in a respectful way. The following has been put together by group members over the years, and reflects their needs and experiences, it's a kind of group contract. This can be added to as you see fit, it's a moveable feast.  Also as practising  therapists, group facilitators have to abide by the BACP ethical code of conduct, and whilst that might sound a little off putting, it's there to help  keep you  safe and anchored. (bacp.co.uk)

Why the group is there:

• To provide a safe therapeutic space for those with metastatic breast cancer to discuss how their condition is affecting them
• To speak freely and respectfully about personal thoughts and feelings
• To share and receive information
• To offer and receive support from each other
• To connect with those who share a similar experience
• To feel less isolated
• To be seen, heard and understood
• To have a voice; to feel empowered.

Group agreement & group dynamics; our safety contract

• Confidentiality & privacy - especially with video meetings; what’s said in the group stays in the group
• Sharing – being mindful of what you share, taking responsibility for your observations and how they may be interpreted and having an enquiring mind about other opinions that may differ to yours.
• Being supportive of each other and each person’s unique experience
• Being respectful of each other’s thoughts & feelings
• Giving space to everyone who wishes to speak & offering each other the chance to be heard
• Being mindful that not everyone may wish to speak but prefer to listen
• Giving yourself and each other permission to share your vulnerabilities in the knowledge this should feel a safe place to do so
• Trying to be honest and open about how you feel in a respectful manner
• Trying not to be judgmental; every experience needs validating and may differ to yours
• Knowing that crying or releasing emotion is OK; that it’s OK not to be OK! Triggers can be unexpected

Our safety contract; our responsibility to you as facilitators & therapists

• To offer structure - A beginning, middle & end
• To create boundaries - Time, Content, Safety, holding emotion, managing the group content
• Containment: Ebb & flow, light and shade, balance
• Psychological education: Introducing you to the potential for change through conversation, exploration and information
• Self disclosure: When appropriate and only if it’s in your best interests
• Risk: To act on and/or determine whether any disclosures may indicate a possible risk of harm to oneself or others, and to offer appropriate support, both during the group meeting and if necessary afterwards. This may also include sharing information with a GP or health care professional

 I hope the above makes sense. Please email me if you have any questions

Medical Access Cards - 'Loo cards' are available via Macmillan for you to present in shops and restaurants should you need a comfort stop. Mags has ordered these to distribute; please contact her via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like one sent to you.

Travel Insurance has always been an issue with over inflated prices. Our members have kindly shared the following companies:

Information updates will be put on this link regularly, so please check before emailing  should you have any queries.

Zoom codes will still be sent seperately a couple of days before your meeting.

Emails for Carys concerning the S &W Wales groups to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Emails for Mags concerning any support/information/queries about Macmillan to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We look forward to seeing you soon!