Two former cancer sufferers have set up a support group for people with the disease.
Gail Reynolds and Karen Thorley, both of March, have come together to launch March Area Cancer and Chronic Illness Support (MACCS).
The group’s committee held their first meeting at the Riverside Practice in March on Tuesday.
Mrs Reynolds, who is in remission for breast cancer, said: “I was diagnosed two and a half years ago when I was 40 years-old and there was no local support group. The nearest ones were in Chatteris and Wisbech but they were evening groups so, unless you could drive, you couldn’t go.
“The idea is close to both myself and Karen’s heart. We are here to support people going through cancer and also their family and friends.
“People can come along and chat with people who have been there, done it and got the t-shirt.”
The group is receiving assistance from Macmillan Cancer Support in an advisory role and both the Riverside Practice and March Town Hall have offered to let them use their premises.
Mrs Reynolds says the response to the group on Facebook has been very positive, with people on the March Free Discussion page saying it is needed in March.
She hopes they will be up and running within the next month or, if possible, earlier.
Mrs Thorley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago but got the all clear in 2009, said: “It makes a lot of difference when, instead of talking over the phone, there is somebody to talk to who actually knows what to say because they’ve been through it.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here