Open Door, Warminster opens its new Prostate Cancer Group on Monday 8 July 2024.
The group got off to a flying start with a donation of £400 from volunteer Rachel Evans who did a sponsored skydive to raise funds. Her employers at Longleat village were so impressed with her bravery that they added a donation of their own on top. Warminster Town Council has also generously provided grant funding which secures the running costs of this new support group for 12 months.
There are around 55,100 new prostate cancer cases in the UK every year; it is the most common cancer in UK males, and it accounts for 28% of all new cancer cases. Since the early 1990s, prostate cancer incidence rates in the UK have increased by almost half (48%). The new prostate support group aims to help men by raising awareness of the disease, encouraging them to understand the symptoms and to engage with appropriate health professionals where they have concerns.
For men already affected by the cancer, like Kerry Evans, pictured alongside his wife Rachel, the Chat Café will also help them to talk about their prostate cancer journey in a safe space, with other men going through similar experiences.
The prostate café fills a much needed gap in the Warminster support network. Before its opening men affected had to travel to Bath or Swindon if they wanted to talk. Now this local cafe will help men build a trusted local support network locally, through individual friendships.
The café is open on the second and fourth Monday of each month from 19:00-20:30 at The Athenaeum Warminster
Drop in when you feel you want to and enjoy a chat, a cuppa and a cake on us.
