The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre is an Enfield-based charity supporting adults affected by cancer, including patients, family members, friends and colleagues. The charity does not provide a direct medical service, but works alongside local health care facilities to ensure that those affected by cancer receive the emotional and psychological support needed to help them come to terms with and cope with their changing lives.
After a cancer diagnosis, many patients feel an array of different emotions. Some may experience a sense of shock, fear, or sadness and many question why this has happened to them. As treatment progresses, more emotional and physical changes can occur and as they do, many people become frustrated at the loss of control cancer has caused.
Therefore we provide a range of services including selected treatments, complementary therapies and practical support. These are held at our centre, though one-to-one support often takes place in client’s homes, so they feel more comfortable. What groups and activities a client takes part in are solely based on each individual’s mental and physical state, rather than a one size fits all approach.
Our therapies and group activities are designed to provide physical relief from the effects of cancer and its treatments. While counselling and support groups help people trying to come to terms with the illness and their worries and anxieties. We are also a rich source of information, offering educational and advisory groups to both individuals and families throughout different stages of their cancer journey.
All of our services are free of charge, however they are not free to provide. There charity is non-government funded and therefore depends totally on external funding.
Set up in 2002, The Nightingale is now the primary provider of non-medical cancer support within the Borough of Enfield with over 300 clients.
We have a team of 11 staff members (4 full time and 8 part time) supported by over 100 volunteers. In 2019 we supported 593 clients, 58% of these had a specific cancer diagnosis and of these 21% had a secondary or palliative diagnosis.
We have found that those someone suffering from stage 4 cancer will sometimes need less support than someone suffering from stage one. You cannot predict or prejudge what support people will need. Therefore, each new client has an introductory session to assess what initial level of support they require. What groups and activities they take part in are solely based on each individual’s mental and physical state, rather than a one size fits all approach.
A cancer diagnosis of any form can take an enormous psychological toll. From diagnosis to treatment and post treatment, those diagnosed, along with their friends and families, are consumed by hospital appointments, treatments and side effects. Though incredible medical teams work hard to treat patients, there is little support available for their holistic needs beyond focusing on their physical health. Often their emotional, psychological and social needs are not immediately recognised or understood and it can take years to identify these issues that arise from a cancer diagnosis.
According to research by Macmillan, even 10 years after diagnosis, 54% of cancer survivors still suffer with psychological issues. The Nightingale has been offering cancer support for 18 years and in this time we have seen the impact of what ignoring or not identifying these issues can do.
We help patients, family and friends deal with and move on from these issues, no matter when diagnosis occurred. With timely support, people can learn to self-manage, develop coping skills to recognise and reduce anxiety and plan for their future, whether that means getting on with their lives after treatment or preparing their families for life without them.
