Green lights to mark anniversary

Ray Wilkinson, chair, St John Priory Group (Greater London), writes:

March 23 marks the anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown and your readers will be very aware of the huge and continuing efforts to tackle the pandemic by our colleagues in the NHS, our St John Ambulance volunteers and many other organisations nationwide.

Details of our work over the last 12 months can be found on our website: sja.org.uk

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all these groups in Greater London for their ongoing work to keep us safe and help us move carefully into the post-Covid period – whether they are working in vaccination centres, training vaccinators, working in hospitals, crewing ambulances or providing a wide range of other vital services in their communities.

We should all also take some time to remember those who lost their lives over the past 12 months.

Another date we will soon be marking is St John’s Day on June 24.

Traditionally, our volunteers and staff have used this as an opportunity to reflect on the work of our charity around the country and take part in an annual service of rededication in the magnificent surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral. This year, coronavirus will once again make this impossible.

Last year we observed St John’s Day in a variety of new and different ways because of the pandemic, and one of the most visible events was the lighting up in green of more than 40 buildings and landmarks around the country.

We are hoping that many more buildings will light up in green in 2021 and, if you are a building owner or custodian and would like to get involved in this year’s event, we’d love to hear from you.

Please contact us at communityfundraising@sja.org.uk to find out more and register your interest.

Readers who wish to help us with a donation can also take part in our new Spring into Action campaign and support our volunteers as they continue to step forward to give vital support to those in need across the country.

St John Ambulance is immensely grateful for the support it has received from everyone in these difficult times.

Support after a cancer diagnosis

Rachel Rawson, Breast Cancer Now clinical nurse specialist, writes:

Living with or beyond breast cancer is never easy – treatment, scans and the physical and mental impacts can take their toll.

Entering the first national lockdown a year ago today, people affected by breast cancer faced additional challenges, such as appointments and treatments being paused or cancelled, and at a time of social isolation and separation from loved ones.

As a clinical nurse specialist on Breast Cancer Now’s Helpline, I hear daily how the pandemic has exacerbated an already worrying and uncertain time for people affected by breast cancer.

That’s why, when Covid-19 paused our face-to-face events and courses, we rapidly moved our services online, so that we could continue to be there for people who we know need our support now more than ever – our online services mean we’re one click away for anyone, at any time, following a breast cancer diagnosis.

Thanks to support received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, our Moving Forward Online courses help people adjust to life after hospital treatment, offering specialist information and the chance to connect in a safe space with others who understand. Through Younger Women Together Online, women aged up to 45 join small groups to meet and hear from experts on issues including treatment, fertility, exercise and mental health.

For people living with incurable secondary breast cancer, we know how valuable it is to connect with others who share similar uncertainties and challenges, so our Living With Secondary Breast Cancer Online course is available 24/7, offering emotional wellbeing support and information.

No-one should face breast cancer alone; we’re always here, via our Helpline and our Online Services.

Stress Awareness Month

Phaedra Perry, regional head, Diabetes UK, writes:

April is Stress Awareness Month and we know that having to manage a condition like diabetes, on top of the strain the last year has put on everyone, can cause even greater stress and anxiety.

Living with diabetes through this pandemic – where people with the condition are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill if they develop coronavirus – has been, for many, overwhelming. Although stress doesn’t cause diabetes, it can affect your blood sugar levels and how you look after your condition.

Thankfully, though, there are things you can do to make it easier to cope and Diabetes UK has plenty of resources which can help.

If you want support on how to change the way you react so things feel better, try the Stress Manager tool on the Diabetes UK’s online Learning Zone.

You’ll also get a warm welcome and support from others with diabetes on our online support forum. Both the Stress Manager tool and the forum can be found at the Diabetes UK website: diabetes.org.uk

  • If you’d prefer to talk to someone, you can chat to one of our trained advisors. They have counselling skills and can be contacted via our helpline on 0345 123 2399 (Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm) or by emailing helpline@diabetes.org.uk

It doesn’t matter what causes you stress, it is getting support to manage it that’s important.

So please take that first step during Stress Awareness Month if you feel you need to.