Pub group brings people with cancer together

A cancer survivor who set up a support group in her local pub has said she wanted to connect people who "understand what treatment feels like".

Coleen Crosby, 40, from Reddish in Stockport, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2023 and said life soon became "just chemo, walking the dogs and doing the food shop".

Despite having support from her family and friends, she said it felt like "a very lonely journey".

Now in remission, she has set up the Crosby Foundation and the group meets in the Grey Horse pub.

Ms Crosby said she felt inspired to bring people together when she discovered there were no support groups in her local area.

"The only groups I could find were in the city centre so people would have to drive or get pubic transport," she said.

Describing her own experience, she said: "It was a very lonely journey since nobody understood what I was going through or what the treatment made me feel like.

"Those were the people I really wanted to talk to."

Ms Crosby had posted about her plan on her local Facebook group and was contacted by landlady Helen Partington who offered to host the meetings at the Grey Horse.

Ms Partington said her customers often shared how cancer had affected their lives and they probably "felt relaxed doing so in a pub environment".

"I didn't hesitate because I knew how important it would be for those affected by cancer to find somewhere informal to meet, away from a clinical setting," she said.

"Being able to facilitate weekly meetings for this new support was something I was just so happy to do."

Ms Crosby added: "One lady I met said she hadn't left the house since her treatment so the group has made a massive difference to her.

"We need to get talking about cancer and make people more aware, it doesn't have to be scary if you have people around you."

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