Step one
You have a dedicated person you can call
Jo Gowing is the Cancer Care Coordinator for Weymouth and Portland PCN. Her role exists specifically to support people affected by cancer in our area. You do not need a referral or a particular reason to get in touch. If you are not sure where to start, start with Jo.
Cancer Care Coordinator
Jo Gowing
How you might already know about this
If you have recently been diagnosed, you may already have had a letter with Jo's details on it. If you are 80 or over, Jo may call you directly to check the letter reached you and see whether anything would help. Your surgery, and the wider Care Coordinator team, also know to point people towards Jo once a diagnosis is confirmed.
Many people say they wish they had known about this support earlier. So if none of that has happened yet, or you have simply lost track of who to contact, that is a good enough reason to call.
It is also common to feel that once you are under a hospital consultant, the surgery has stepped back. It has not. Jo stays your point of contact here, for anything from a question you are not sure who to ask, to help if a referral has not gone the way you expected.
Talking to someone who understands
Sometimes you need to speak to someone who has heard it all before and knows how to help. These services are free and open to everyone.
Free · 7 days a week
Macmillan Cancer Support
A wide range of information, practical advice and support for patients, families and carers, including emotional support. Free phone line open every day.
Online & local · Free
Wessex Cancer Support
Online communities, therapies, counselling and peer support groups for patients and their loved ones.
NHS · Regional
Cancer Matters Wessex
An NHS website built for people in this region. Covers the referral process, what happens after diagnosis, and local and national support.
Helpline · Online chat
Cancer Research UK
A helpline and online chat for anyone who needs information or support, whatever the diagnosis.
Support for a specific type of cancer
General organisations like the ones above cover every type of cancer. But if you are looking for people who focus on your specific diagnosis, these charities offer information and support built around it.
Breast cancer
Breast Cancer Now
Information and support specifically for people affected by breast cancer, including a nurse helpline.
Prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer UK
Information, support and a specialist nurse helpline for anyone affected by prostate cancer.
Lung cancer
Asthma + Lung UK
Information and a helpline for lung cancer, also useful if you are living with a related condition such as COPD.
Blood cancer
Blood Cancer UK
Support and information for anyone affected by leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or other blood cancers.
Children's cancer
Children with Cancer UK
Support and information for families of children and young people affected by cancer.
If cancer is affecting how you feel
Feeling overwhelmed, anxious or low is a common and normal response, whether you are the person with cancer or the one caring for them. It is not something you have to push through alone.
Step two
Keep moving
The evidence on physical activity and cancer is strong. Movement during and after treatment can reduce fatigue, improve mood, and support recovery. You do not need to be fit. You just need to start somewhere.
C'Fit Cancer Rehabilitation
A cancer rehabilitation exercise scheme at Osprey Leisure Centre in Weymouth. Ask your healthcare professional about a referral, or contact Osprey directly to ask about it yourself.
Community
5K Your Way · Weymouth Parkrun
A national movement for anyone affected by cancer. Meet at Weymouth Parkrun. Walk, jog, or run any part of the 5K route, then stay for a chat.
Step two continued
Connecting with others who understand
There is something that happens when you sit in a room with people who genuinely know what you are going through. These local groups are worth knowing about.
West Dorset · Weekly
The Living Tree
A community peer support group for anyone affected by cancer. Meets every Friday 2–4pm at the Quaker Meeting House in Bridport. Open to people across West Dorset, East Devon and South Somerset.
Weymouth · Monthly
New-Man Prostate Cancer Support
A support group for prostate cancer patients and carers, meeting monthly at St Andrews Church Hall, Preston, Weymouth. Patients and carers are welcome.
Step three
If money is a worry
A cancer diagnosis can create financial pressure that nobody prepares you for. There is dedicated help available locally, and you do not have to work it out alone.
Dorset Macmillan Citizens Advice
Help with financial queries, benefits, and grants for people affected by cancer.
Local charity · Dorset
Dorset Cancer Care Foundation
A Dorset charity supporting people experiencing financial hardship as a result of cancer.
If you need practical help at home
The British Red Cross can lend equipment including wheelchairs, toilet aids and mobility equipment to people who need them.
0808 196 3651 · 10am–6pm, seven days a week
When to contact your GP or seek urgent help
- New or unexplained symptoms you are worried about — do not wait
- Symptoms that are getting worse during or after treatment
- Unexplained weight loss or fatigue
- New pain that feels different from before
- Side effects from treatment that are affecting daily life
- Cancer that is stopping you coping day to day
- If you are struggling emotionally, call NHS 111