Pink Ladies branch out

THE Pink Ladies are branching out.

On November 4 they will be opening their first ‘branch’ group at the Community House at Caw Nelson Drive, which they will celebrate with a Coffee Morning from 10am to 12pm.

Programme Manager Karen Mullan, said: “We are inviting everybody to come along, have a chat and see what we are about and what we have to offer. We are branching out to make ourselves more accessible to the Waterside and wider area as we have a number of members from Caw Nelson Drive, and this move is very much about growth, development and progression.”

Among the group’s many activities are offering support for members as they lean to cope with cancer and their treatment, and lobbying on a range of issues.

Members Maisie Crawford and Carol Peck will play a co-ordinating role on this side of the river, and she it ensured that there was one voice coming out of the city when it came to highlighting need as cancer had no boundaries.

“It’s not just about social therapy, but saying that, the social aspect is a key part of the Pink Ladies. I cannot speak for anyone else, but there are great benefits to becoming a member of the Pink Ladies,” she said, adding: “This group is about getting people out of their house and helping them cope with their cancer. It is easier for people to cope when they are with people who understand what is going on. It is like an extended family, or a lifeline for people who realise that there is life at the end of the tunnel.

“Learning to cope and being happy within yourself helps your mental health and your overall wellbeing, which makes getting better easier,” she said.

In time activities tailored to the needs of the women will be added to the coffee morning activities

Linda Watson, Project Co-ordinator at Caw Nelson Drive, said she was delighted with the move. She said in recent years Caw/Nelson Drive Action Group had worked with the Pink Ladies doing awareness workshops and in lobbying work, including that for the Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin Hospital and for winter fuel payments for cancer sufferers.

“The Pink Ladies do great work right across our City and I think it will be immense help to the women of Caw and indeed the wider Waterside to have a support group on this side of the river. I would encourage as many people to come along to the launch and hear first hand from the Pink Ladies their stories and get more information about the support group and how to get involved,” she said.

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