Local support groups for CLL patients

Are you interested in joining or setting up a local support group for CLL patients?

In the focus groups we held on Zoom last December, several participants thought it would be great to have some localised, in-person CLL support groups. There was general agreement that this kind of networking would be a valuable way to give support, circulate information and discuss where we think CLLANZ should focus its advocacy work.

Diane Ward, one of the participants in the research and a regular contributor to our private Facebook group, has kindly offered to help get this underway. Read the story of her online friends’ group Fabulous ladies

Diane is happy to coordinate this initiative across the country and to organise the setting up of a support group in Canterbury (if enough people are interested). We noted another participant offered to get one underway in the Bay of Plenty. As we found out in the focus groups, the needs vary depending on where you live.

What we really need to know is:

  1. The level of interest in participating if we did set up these groups, and in which regions
  2. If there’s anyone out there who would be keen to organise a group in their particular area, and
  3. If anyone would like to host meetings at their home or a local café or meeting area?

This doesn’t need to be onerous and getting them off the ground would depend on the level of interest in each area.

If you’re potentially interested to join or start a group, please could you contact Diane direct at dianew564@gmail.com and she will get in touch with you. She would also be happy to have any comments on the concept and any suggestions that would help make these meetings a success. You can also contact Diane through the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/cllanz

Many thanks to Diane for picking up this project!

We’re also working on how to implement other findings from the focus group research. See the topline summary of the research here: Topline Summary Report

And if you’re willing to help with any of the initiatives, please do contact us at: clladvocates@outlook.co.nz