We are a peer support group run by and for people with prostate cancer.
Support comes from listening and sharing feelings, thoughts, experience and knowledge.
Our emphasis is on emotional support of members during diagnosis and treatment, and when living with prostate cancer (PC).
We share information about treatments, services and resources.
We have two meetings each month.
We invite an outside speaker at our Wednesday morning meeting, approximately every other meeting, for the first of our two hours together.
The name “WhiSPer” came from the sound of the first three letters of the abbreviation W.S.P.C.S.G. when thinking of an alternative to the full name, in case anyone didn’t want to specify that they were going for support about their cancer which was in their prostate. The name is a nod to the struggle that a person might feel about those three things, and to talking quietly and in confidence about significant stuff. There is often laughter, too!
To make sure we can talk openly and frankly about everything from symptoms and side effects affecting our sexual function, through to our fears, to the effects on our feelings about ourselves, to how it affects loved ones, work, and the future, we chose for this support group to be for patients only.
We are keen to ensure everyone with PC would feel welcome and experience a sense of belonging in the group. People in minorities are at higher risk of not finding groups like ours to be for them, so we strive to link up with organisations that are well-placed to get the message out – that we are here and wanting to support them with their PC.
You can find out more about our meetings here.
You can read some Testimonials from our Members here.
history
Having moved to Suffolk in 2020, Henry found there was no PC support group in West Suffolk, leaving a long way to travel to the Ipswich or Cambridge groups. He approached Mcmillan’s Information Centre at the West Suffolk Hospital, where Jules, Louise and Madeline welcomed his plan and passed on the Oakes Barn pub’s offer of a venue in central Bury St Edmunds free of charge.
Jules and Louise helped Henry link up with the Mcmillan Care Navigators and with the Clinical Nurse Specialists for PC to get the message out to patients. Care navigator J-P also joined Henry as group co-facilitator for the first year.
We had an initial meeting in October 2023, at which we agreed what we wanted, then started meeting monthly from January 2024. We have steadily grown in number and have people with experience of many different treatments, including active surveillance, varying degrees of aggression and stage of cancer, and with varied attitudes to it all.
Our second monthly meeting began in June 2025. Having one morning and one evening meeting with different group leads means we can maximise access to a group for as many people as possible.
You can find out more about my story here – Henry’s Story
future
We hope to expand by setting up other functions, like a group for partners, friends and families, activity-based meetings, or anything that could help.
West Suffolk Prostate Cancer Support Group 