Become a Peer Support volunteer

Being diagnosed with cancer can be one of the most difficult situations a person will have to face in their lifetime. The Peer Support programme is for people who have had a diagnosis of cancer who would like to speak to others who have had the same diagnosis.

Through this programme you can speak to a trained volunteer who really knows what you are going through as cancer patient. Because our volunteers have also had cancer they too know what it’s like to live with the treatments and side effects of cancer and the emotional and practical issues that you may face as a cancer patient.

Peer Support gives people with cancer the opportunity to have a listening ear from someone who really understands in a time when they need it most. All of our Peer Support volunteers have had a cancer diagnosis.

The volunteers have been carefully selected and trained to give support, practical information and reassurance when you need it most. You can speak to someone who really knows what you're going through.

In order to become a Peer Support volunteer, you must be at least two years post-treatment for cancer. In most cases, we ask that volunteers are not more than 5 years since diagnosis. This is to allow patients speak to others who have been through a similar experience relatively recently.  

With our Survivorship Programme you can learn how, as a cancer survivor, you can give one-to-one peer support, practical information and reassurance to cancer patients.

If you’ve come through a cancer experience, you can share your experience with others, one-on-one, as a Peer Support volunteer. You may find that you benefit just as much as the people whose lives you touch, just by opening up about what you’ve been through.

Joining our Peer Support Programme as a volunteer can:

• Help you come to terms with your diagnosis of cancer.
• Let you discuss your feelings and anxieties about cancer treatments.
• Give you emotional support and practical advice.

You can get support if you're facing a possible diagnosis, if you've been recently diagnosed or if you're dealing with the side effects of treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy.