March Newsletter - Time to get excited - our Masquerade Ball is almost here!

A Gesture of Solidarity

At the end of January, we were honoured to join Lynne, Linda and Darren at Urban Hair & Beauty in Auchinleck as they braved the shave in aid of Ayrshire Cancer Support. 

Lynne, Linda and Darren are paramedics of Cumnock Ambulance Station and decided to shave their hair in solidarity for their colleagues who have been affected by cancer. This incredibly brave act of kindness had everyone in the room tearing up and we were overwhelmed with the generosity and community spirit of all involved. 

Lynne, of Cumnock Ambulance Station, commented: “Driven by the comment from one colleague, a friend who is a woman my age, ‘no going to lie, I think it will be sad seeing myself completely bald’ I have chosen to shave my head as a gesture of solidarity. Cancer has affected us all, this is the least we could do.”

This story has truly touched us all, and shows just how powerful our local community can be. 

From all of us at Ayrshire Cancer Support, THANK YOU🧡

Find out more about our new Living With Uncertainty Course...

Early May will see the launch of our new Living With Uncertainty Course. This 4 week course will be facilitated by 2 of our counsellors and is designed to support people with the uncertainty that a cancer diagnosis can bring. This course is suitable for people who are: living with a rare cancer, or living with a cancer that is incurable, or those receiving new or experimental treatment. 

The course focuses on the emotions and feelings around uncertainty, how to live a values-based lifestyle, acceptance and how we think, and coping mechanisms and resilience. The course aims to help people living with cancer, and their relatives, to live a full and meaningful life alongside their cancer diagnosis. 

For more information, or to book your place, email us at admin@ayrshirecs.org or give us a call on 01563 538008.

Join our Engagement Forum and help us shape our services

We want to be sure that the services we provide meet the needs of people affected by cancer living in Ayrshire.

Throughout the year we collect feedback and evaluate the services we provide, making sure we respond to ideas and suggestions. However, we would like more people with lived experience of cancer, and its far-reaching impacts, to help us shape our priorities in relation to service delivery.

If you would like to get involved and share your experiences, ideas and opinions then we would love to hear from you. We hope to provide a range of different ways to get involved – this is likely to include a few meetings throughout the year (these can be in person or on-line) as well as being asked your views via surveys and/or telephone discussions.

If you would like to find out more, you can email us on admin@ayrshirecs.org or call us on 01563 538008.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Check out our new services webpage!

Our services page has recently had a refresh, and we would love to hear your feedback.

Please have a look at our new page here, and let us know what you think!

We would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the range of self help videos we have on offer via our website. These videos include guided hand massage, relaxation techniques, and exercises you can do at home, providing information and guidance.

To view the selection on our website, click here.

Ayr Centre Update

At the end of January, we hosted our time capsule burial event at our new centre in Ayr, including information on the history of the building and our charity.

This event was held to mark the current renovation of our Ayr centre, which is due to open in late spring and will provide life-changing services to children, young people and adults affected by cancer.

We welcomed service users from our Children and Young People Service, to give them a sneak peek of the centre before it opens in the coming months. The new facility, will be a fully refurbished and extended hub that offers free emotional and practical support to those in the local area. It will include dedicated spaces for children and young people, making it the first facility of its kind in the region.

We would like to thank David Smith, the team at Ashleigh and all who attended this event for coming along to see the progress of this build. We look forward to opening the doors in the coming months. To keep up to date with our Ayr centre progress, click here.

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 of others that truly "get it".

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.

Prehabilitation – getting yourself ready for treatment

Are you newly diagnosed with cancer and keen to find out more about how you can best support yourself before you start treatment?

At Ayrshire Cancer Support, we run regular "prehab" workshops that will allow you to connect with others and learn how to: support your physical health, improve your emotional wellbeing, reduce side effects of treatment, and gain a sense of control during what can be an uncertain time. These workshops last an hour and a half, and are run in person and online by our Cancer Support Specialist. You can also bring someone along with you to the session.

To find out more or to book your place, get in touch by emailing us at admin@ayrshirecs.org.

A thank you to our Masquerade Ball sponsors

We would like to take this opportunity to shine a light on our wonderful Masquerade Ball Sponsors. 

Thank you to our Principal Sponsor, Eureka Solutions, and our Supporting Sponsors, Ayr Racecourse, Western House Hotel, Chemring Energetics and AMPM Luxury Goods.

We are delighted to have you all on board and are extremely grateful for your support of our charity.

For further information on how you can become a corporate partner, and give back to your local community, please email us at fundraising@ayrshirecs.org.

Kiltwalk 2025

Walk the Kiltwalk in 2025 with #TeamACS. With a variety of locations and different lengths of routes, have the BEST DAY 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 and Sunday 27th April

• Kiltwalk Aberdeen Sunday 1st June

• Kiltwalk Dundee Sunday 17th August

• Kiltwalk Edinburgh Sunday 14th September

Register Here