April Newsletter - Spring Forward - Exciting Times Ahead!

March was Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Owen was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2023. Owen recently shared the story of his prostate cancer diagnosis, and the support he has accessed at ACS and Prostate Scotland on the Cancer Card podcast.

Owen’s advice to other people affected by prostate cancer is to "Stay positive and listen to advice from the oncology clinicians. Ask questions on next steps, find out what you can do to help yourself best manage treatment and side effects, and find out where you can access support for yourself and your family."

Owen completed the 6 week Living Well with Prostate Cancer Course here at ACS - "The support has been absolutely fantastic. The NHS teams provide and prioritise diagnosis and the delivery of your treatment plan, but a cancer diagnosis requires so much more than that. You need someone to sound off to about your physical and mental health and to discuss how your future looks living with cancer. Having somewhere that can signpost you to information and groups to meet similarly affected people helped ease the burden for me. I highly recommend contacting ACS to get some support."

Thank you Owen for sharing your story with us. If you would like to listen to Owen's podcast episode, you can do so here.

A new peer group to support breast cancer patients

Are you affected by breast cancer and looking to connect with other women in a similar situation?

Our new Breast Cancer Peer Support Group will provide this opportunity, and will run on the first Monday of each month from 1-2:30pm starting on May 5th. Following our recent survey, many breast cancer patients expressed their hopes to connect with other women, at various stages of the breast cancer pathway, and we’ve responded by providing this regular opportunity. 

The group will be led by Karen, our lead volunteer who is affiliated with Breast Cancer Now and will include some opportunities for learning, but also for relaxed and informal conversations with other people that truly "get it". 

The group will be drop in, without a need to book and we look forward to welcoming familiar and new faces.

Handover day is nearly here!

We’re delighted that April is finally here and that we will receive the handover of the keys to our renovated Ayr Centre this month. 

During March, we sat down with Lomond Property to discuss this exciting project. Keep an eye on our socials to see this video very soon!

The team will be busy behind the scenes preparing the space for use in the coming weeks... more information on our opening date to come soon!

Are you affected by breast cancer and struggling with menopause symptoms?

Join our 6 week Menopause and Cancer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Course to support women managing menopausal symptoms as a result of breast cancer treatment. Menopause can present physical symptoms and emotional changes, and for some, early menopause can be caused by cancer treatment. These treatments, including: chemotherapy, surgery to remove the ovaries, radiotherapy to the pelvis, and hormone therapy drugs, can affect your hormone levels and these changes can be both temporary and permanent, depending on your age and the type of treatment. If you have anything that you would like to discuss with a health professional, contact your GP, Clinical Nurse Specialist or local NHS Menopause clinic.

The CBT Course can support women to gain effective tools to manage emotional challenges, develop strategies to cope with anxiety, to reframe negative thinking patterns, connect with others navigating similar experiences, and cultivate a supportive community.

Alongside our local Breast Cancer Nurses, and the Beatson, we will welcome our next group of women on our Menopause and Cancer CBT Course on April 30th from 10am until 12pm in our Kilmarnock Centre. If you would like to find out more information, or book your place, drop in or contact us at admin@ayrshirecs.org.

✨ Oh what a night! ✨

This was really a night of mystery, elegance and generosity!

Our Masquerade Ball was an unforgettable evening filled with stunning masks, incredible entertainment and heartfelt support for ACS. We would like to thank everyone who played a part in making our ball an unforgettable evening.

To our wonderful guests and speakers- your energy, elegance and participation brought the event to life. Your stunning masks, dazzling outfits and joyful spirit created an enchanting atmosphere that made the evening truly special. A special mention to our incredible staff and volunteers whose hard work and dedication on the evening ensured the night was the success it was!

Thank you to everyone who made this event so special- your support, presence and generosity made this event one to remember. We can’t wait to do it all again next year! 🧡

Kiltwalk 2025

The Glasgow Kiltwalk Sunday is SOLD OUT! But not to worry, there are still plenty of spaces left on the Glasgow Saturday, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh Kiltwalks! 

Take on this immense challenge and walk with #TeamACS, whilst raising vital funds for us. 

Register now and select your Kiltwalk of choice and Ayrshire Cancer Support as your chosen charity.

• Kiltwalk Glasgow Saturday 26th April

• Kiltwalk Aberdeen Sunday 1st June

• Kiltwalk Dundee Sunday 17th August

• Kiltwalk Edinburgh Sunday 14th September

Register Here