together day newcastle

[poleglass]

I would just like to thank target ovarian cancer for flying me over to newcastle next weekend to give an address and meet other women like myself and have a lovely day with them all. so looking forward to it.Have been to stormont this week and addressed the n.ireland assembly about raising profile of ovarian cancer. I am giving an address to belfast city council on monday night and having dinner with them afterwards ovarian cancer is on their agenda to debate.The assembly member is setting me up for a meeting with edwin poots the minister of health in n. ireland.All the partys are having a big debate in march ovarian cancer awareness month and i have been invited! I always thought one voice could not achieve much but I know now one voice is better than no voice so will keep on until something is set in place to educate women in the early signs of ovarian cancer and in doing so maybe bring the statistics down to an acceptable level.The profile here in n, ireland ia worse than the rest of the uk. .37% of women were not confident of knowing the signs at all!! this has to change and by golly I will keep trying just to do that.

[lucy1dog]

Gosh well done you are right just one voice is all we need. Last year I had a full page in our local echo and i had women ring me and ask me about ovarian cancer so I know it does help. Keep going you are an inspiration to us all.

Lucy x

[MargaretJ]

Well done You! I have been to a couple of Target OC days and they sponsored me at the conference in London. I have also written a piece for one of their pamphlets. Every one of us who speaks out makes a little difference and spreads the word.

[Whippit]

Dear Una

I'm so glad you've posted about your Together Day in Newcastle. There's a great need for more regional events. Is this something that other Members of Ovacome can attend? If some it would be great to have the details of the venue, time and how to get tickets.

You have done so much to raise awareness of Ovarian Cancer and to raise funds for your local Northern Ireland Hospice. You are indeed one voice - but I'm not sure if all the other members are aware you have the most beautiful singing voice and that you are selling your CDs to raise funds for the hospice.

Enjoy your trip to Newcastle. It's fantastic you have had an opportunity to speak to the Northern Ireland Assembly about this. You've inspired me to get in touch with the Health Secretary in Wales to see if any debates are going on here.

Let's hope the media profile you have will spread the word. I was approached by Radio Wales yesterday to give an interview this morning but they dropped it because I told them I had a swift diagnosis and they were looking for a story where someone was facing a terminal condition because they hadn't been diagnosed promptly by their GP.

There's another aspect to the awareness-raising in my view - that raising awareness of the symptoms amongst GPs and women will not address the whole problem. Many women, like me, have absolutely no symptoms whatsoever until the cancer has spread and it's too late to cure. For this reason awareness-raising should also speak out about developing a reliable screening test and getting it rolled out across the UK. That, and the BEAT campaign may well have a significant impact on reducing the fatalities from this dreadful disease.

Do please give us the details of the event in Newcastle if it's open to the public. I've attended a few events in London and it's been fantastic to meet up with members face-to-face. Not so easy for members who live in the North.

Love and best wishes for next weekend.

Annie xxx

[hil65wil in reply to Whippit]

Hi Annie

I attended one in York last year and made a weekend away to coincide as live near Manchester. I got the opportunity through Cancer Voices since then I get regular facebook and emails from Target Ovarian Cancer. If any one is interested email Target Ovarian Cancer and I am sure they would be glad to book you on it..

[Whippit in reply to hil65wil]

Dear Hilary

Thanks so much for this advice. I'm a Voice for Ovarian Cancer so i do get the regular emails. Perhaps I missed the one about Newcastle. Ovarian Cancer Research are coming to Wales next month to help with an event we're organising. It's good to have a bit of support but better still some formal events in the regions.

Love Annie xxxx

[poleglass in reply to Whippit]

I am thrilled that i inspired you to get in touch with the health secretary in wales Annie.Good for you!I think we all need to take some responsibllity and lobby our elected bodies to something concrete about this disease like screening.if we all lobbied in our own individual regions, we would be a positive force to be reckoned with, so ladies take up the pen and write and phone your goverment representitives and let them know we are real people with families and lives to live not just a statisticsThis is what i have done and as they say a small stone thrown into the water can make big ripples and i am certainly proving that and so can you all!!Go for it, what have you got to lose.Sorry , I am beginning to sound like a suffragete!!

[poleglass in reply to Whippit]

Annie i included that in my address to the m.ps. and i also handed them out awareness leaflets than anyone can get of target ovarian cancer.You just go on their web site and they post you them out totally free. I have been telling everyone to send for them and if you work in a hairdressers beauty parlour anywhere were there are women,just to get them and hand them out and it means every one is doing their bit to profile it in their own way and it will spread the wordI have been giving talks on awareness and the work of hospice and selling my cds. and afterwards i hand out the awareness leaflets as people are leaving.Every little bit helps and it beats doing nothing at all.Even if you have a group of women friends just get the leaflets and give them out. Target ovarian cancer also do a free module for g.ps. to heighten their awareness of ovarian cancer and i feel every g.p. in the u.k should be availing of this service as it can only improve their quality of care for their women patients. They have no excuse as it is totally free. Target ovarian cancer will send you out the g.p. module flyer to hand to your doctors surgery as I did they also give you posters to put in shop windows as well or were ever youu want to put them , g.ps notice boards chemist windows e.t.c. i hope i have given you all food for thought. x

[Whippit in reply to poleglass]

Dear Una, you have indeed given me food for thought. I'll ask Abi about the leaflets for GPs to see if they've been distributed in Wales. I'm always a bit wary of charities who have a UK-wide remit. Perhaps it's the fault of devolution but you go to an event and they talk about the UK but they're really talking about England.

I emailed Abi at Ovarian Action and asked if anyone was in touch with the Welsh Assembly or the Health Minister for Wales. It appears not and she asked me to do so. It would be good to compare notes so I'll let you know when I hear back from them.

Ovacome also do leaflets. I really like their BEAT message flyer. They also have little cards you can hand out which are a bit more practical than flyers. You'd need to contact Ruth Grigg and ask for them. Ruth Grigg, Volunteer and information Manager, Tel: [phone], [e-mail]. She can also let you have some of their merchandise, fabric ribbons, balloons, etc.

It is a bit of a shame that Target and Ovacome don't get together to create merchandise and publicity because it would cut costs. Duplication and competition between charities was something that was raised at a meeting I attended in London last month.

Do Target Ovarian Cancer or Ovacome come over to Ireland? It would be good to see a presence in the regions during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Too late to organise this year but something to think about in 2014. Target are coming to Wales on 20 and 21st March and we'll be showing off a couple of the displays we've got up and running for the month.

You might see another post on behalf of Jean (YoginUK01).She's set up a display and fundraising initiative in her local Curves Gym in Neath. We were setting it up yesterday and have put Ovacome flyers and teal ribbons everywhere. It certainly raised awareness of Ovarian Cancer and Jean was able to explain a few things - most importantly that it's not detected by cervical smears!

I think there will be events and displays across the UK this month. Let's hope we hear of more via the blogs.

Best of luck with your fundraising and awareness-raising work. xxxx Love Annie

[Hidden]

Dear Una

Really interested to hear about all your lobbying. I'd also be keen to go to the Stormont debate if the date suited and to contribute to awareness raising in any way I can. In my previous jobs I often had to meet Ministers and senior civil servants so I know lobbying has to strike a delicate balance between flattery and hectoring... With our lot of politicians anyway!

So well done you and thanks for everything you're doing.

Love

Linda xx

[poleglass in reply to Hidden]

Linda , when I get a date for debate i will let you know.Frances from target ovarian cancer may be flying over for it too if they give me enough notice and the date fits in with her sceduleWill have to check it out first as for security you have to get passes e.t.c. You know how it works Linda.!!

[wendydee]

Well done, Una. I've been to a day run by Target. They have them advertised on their website, I think. I liaise with another OC lady who is an ambassador for them, via our local support group, COPES, Coincidentally, her name is Wendy too!

Keep up the good work

Love Wendy xx

[TinaWright]

Amazing great to here Una, thank you for all the energy you give to others.

love Tina xx

[hil65wil]

Una so amazing. Well done you. xxx

love

Hilary xxxx

[poleglass]

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. I just wanted to give you details of the "together day " in newcastle .Its next friday the 8th. march, co incidently "international womens day!, really appropriate I think! There are places still left ,so if any one is interested, I am going to give you some email addresses and names for you to contact,[e-mail] or [e-mail]. There names are karin and debbie.The phone number of target ovarian cance is 020 7923 5475.. just incase you would prefer to phone them instead of emailing.The rest is up to you girls! I hope tomeet some of you face to face which would be simply great.xx una

[poleglass]

meant to say will be bringing some of my cds. with me to sell for n.ireland hospice! bring the dosh!!

[poleglass]

Local paper The irish news were out today and are doing a big feature on me and ovarian cancer should be published in next wednesdays edition.U.T.V. are also coming out to me tomorrow to do t.v. interview to be shown for march ovarian cancer awareness month.Every little bit of publicity helps our cause and has to be good for raising the profile of this dreadful disease.xWill keep you all posted.

[Hidden]

Hi Una,

What was I saying about you becoming famous? ..hummmm. first inline for your autograph! teehee love x G x

[poleglass]

I am thinking of charging for personal appearances gwyn!,,, but for you it will be free!!tee hee