Sunday, August 3, 2025

Book club provides vital support to cancer patients thanks to charitable funding

When Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2020, little did he know that a book club would provide him with a lifeline to help cope with living with the disease.

Joe, a retired headteacher from Lincoln was not prepared for the effects hormone therapy would have on his body as he tried to cope with hot flushes, emotional turmoil, sleeplessness and reduction of masculine parts.

He found the book club, run by Annie Theed, a Macmillan breast cancer care co-ordinator at the Breast Cancer Clinic in Boston Pilgrim Hospital, a wonderful way to talk about coping with cancer.

Joe said: “I was undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy and then two of my brothers died in 2022 from cancer, one very unexpectedly and it became an emotional time for me.

“I soon realised that reading offered a welcome distraction from the stress and anxiety of living with cancer even if for a short time. It also gave me the chance to talk to others going through similar circumstance as myself.

“It is something to look forward to when the book drops through the letterbox. Some books I enjoy and other less so. It’s a subjective thing – we are unique individuals with different likes, dislikes and hobbies but with one thing in common – cancer.”

The book club was started in 2020 by Annie to keep in touch with patients diagnosed with cancer during the COVID pandemic.

Annie said: “We quickly realised that many of our patients were isolated, with no contact from anyone. So, with the help of funding from United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, we started the book club.

“Five years later and the club has grown to become a vital online meeting place for cancer patients providing up-to-date information and support for its members. Annie has created a family atmosphere where people feel relaxed and can talk openly.”

Charity manager, Ben Petts is delighted in the Book Club’s success. He said: “As the club meets online, it means anyone in Lincolnshire with a cancer diagnosis can join. The cost of a book could be a lot for some families to find each month; yet by providing this funding, we have ensured the book club is inclusive to everyone.

“The book club is just one project supported by United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity. Thanks to the generosity of people living and working in Lincolnshire, we can support the county’s hospitals to deliver outstanding care to patients and their families by funding those extras that cannot be provided by the NHS alone.”

For more information, please visit their website: www.ulhcharity.org.uk

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our news site - please take a moment to read this important message:

As you know, our aim is to bring you, the reader, an editorially led news site and magazine but journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them.

With the Covid-19 pandemic having a major impact on our industry as a whole, the advertising revenues we normally receive, which helps us cover the cost of our journalists and this website, have been drastically affected.

As such we need your help. If you can support our news sites/magazines with either a small donation of even £1, or a subscription to our magazine, which costs just £27.55 per year, (inc p&P and mailed direct to your door) your generosity will help us weather the storm and continue in our quest to deliver quality journalism.

As a subscriber, you will have unlimited access to our web site and magazine. You'll also be offered VIP invitations to our events, preferential rates to all our awards and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Just click here to subscribe and in the meantime may I wish you the very best.

Advertisment












Latest posts

Tallington Lodge brings local professionals together for its first Business and Brunch event

Tallington Lodge Care Home, located in the village of Tallington, near Stamford, recently brought together healthcare professionals and local business owners for its first-ever...

Free blood pressure checks launched across North Lincolnshire

A new health drive in North Lincolnshire is focusing on the early detection of high blood pressure, a condition that affects around one in...

Freshney Place plans free summer fun for families

Freshney Place in Grimsby has set out a programme of free events for families throughout the school summer holidays. From 2 August, the shopping centre...

The magic of outdoor theatre comes to Lincolnshire Showground with beloved classic

The magic of outdoor theatre is coming to the Lincolnshire Showground as the multiple award-winning Illyria Theatre Company celebrates Kenneth Grahame’s timeless tale of...

Usher Gallery opens refreshed spaces with local art focus

Lincoln’s Usher Gallery has reopened two redesigned rooms as part of the first phase of its Arts Council England-funded rehang. The new display, called Stories...

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close