- Volunteers providing peer support
- Outreach volunteers
Breast Cancer Care was founded by volunteers in the 1970s and aims to provide unique support and information for people affected by breast cancer. Today the organisation has approximately 500 volunteers and 200 paid staff. Each year there are around 44,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed, with around 300 of these in men. The organisation also supports partners of women with breast cancer.
Peer Support
This is a telephone based service where individuals contact Breast Cancer Care seeking support on any issues linked to their diagnosis, treatment or psycho-social concerns they may be facing. They are then matched to a volunteer with personal experience of breast cancer, who contacts them by phone (withholding their number). In some cases one call is enough, particularly when the individual wants to talk to someone who has had a particular treatment, but other relationships may go on for much longer. At the end of the call the individual and the volunteer make an agreement about whether there is a need for future contact and how often this will take place.
Outreach
These volunteers raise awareness of breast cancer by talking to all kind of groups, including community groups for older people, workplaces, secondary schools, and help at exhibitions (see picture). They can also talk about Breast Cancer Care’s services, and most outreach volunteers also provide peer support. Although most volunteers have had breast cancer, it is possible to become an Outreach or HeadStrong volunteer without having had the diagnosis
Other roles for volunteers
- HeadStrong is a programme to support people who are experiencing hair loss, showing them how to use hairpieces, scarves, hats and helping them choose the best option. This service is delivered in hospitals and similar settings.
- Volunteers are involved in fundraising for the organisation, and also support the organisation by reading materials, in English or other languages, to check that the language is clear and accessible.
- Many of the volunteers involved with Breast Cancer Care also volunteer in other settings, particularly the NHS, either through the Breast Care Nurse, or as a general volunteer through the Voluntary Services Manager.
Selection, recruitment and training
Breast Cancer Care finds that many of its volunteers are people who have previously used its services, but the charity also recruits through its website, breast cancer nurses, media campaigns and through existing volunteers. An individual must wait at least 18 months after their diagnosis with breast cancer before they can start volunteering for the organisation. They attend a selection day which includes presentations about the work of the charity, group discussions and one to one interviews. Once accepted as a volunteer, they then attend a residential training weekend which covers
- the range of services delivered by volunteers and the potential volunteering roles
- a medical update presented by a nurse specialist
- ethical issues
- the outreach role
One month later all volunteers attend a one day training session on support skills, regardless of their intended role, as anyone (volunteer or employee) associated with Breast Cancer Care is likely to have to offer support at some point.
Individuals then start volunteering, where they are linked to a more experienced volunteer and the local group. They undergo a six month review and then have another day’s training, building on their experience. Individuals are able to put themselves ‘on hold’ if they wish to take a break from volunteering for any reason, and the organisation encourages volunteers to look after themselves. Breast Cancer Care runs regular refresher training for all volunteers, including medical updates, as treatment for breast cancer is developing all the time, and it’s important that volunteers are aware of this as they speak to newly diagnosed individuals.
Further information
Maggie Leathley
Client Support Manager
Breast Cancer Care North & Midlands
7th Floor, S1 St James
Vicar Lane
Sheffield S1 2EX
0845 077 1893
www.breastcancercare.org.uk
