Digital Monthly Meet-ups (Over 18s)
The Digital Monthly Meet-ups are a chance for you to meet other young people who have cancer from all over the UK. We run a session every month and they’re all absolutely free.
Young people aged 13-17 years old can join our Under 18s Digital Monthly Meet-Ups.
- location:
- First Wednesday of every month
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Although our programme may involve some fun activities like online gaming, arts and crafts and cooking, our aim is to give you the chance to meet with and get to know other young people who know what cancer and treatment is like.
If you’re aged 18-27
You can sign up now and receive invites each month! All extra resources needed for the activities will be provided by us free of charge.
Join our monthly meet-ups
Apply nowHonestly, I’m a bit fed up of digital, why should I join this?
You may think online events just aren’t your thing - or feel burnt out by constant screen-time during the pandemic - we can relate! Our approach is shaped by young people and has three key elements:
- Our group sizes are manageable and small, which will enable staff and other young people to get to know each other.
- Our activities are varied and don’t require any pre-existing skills or experience.
- Our sessions are inclusive of all young people.
“I have attended both digital and face-to-face events and I can say that I have had the best time on both. I find that digital events help me meet new people from the comfort of somewhere that is familiar to me, then when I go to a face-to-face event, I already know some familiar faces.”
Lucia, digital programme participant and Youth Advisory Group member
Who can sign up?
If you want to join our Over 18s Digital Monthly Meet-ups, you must:
- have been diagnosed with cancer (or were still on active treatment) on or after your 13th birthday
- be aged between 18 and 27 from 7th September 2023
- be on active treatment currently
OR
- be no more than 2 years post-treatment
Some young people may be undergoing therapies for non-cancerous conditions, such as aplastic anaemia and fibromatosis, which bear similarities with cancer treatment. These applications will be considered on an individual basis provided they meet the wider criteria.
If you know another young person who meets this eligibility criteria, why not let them know about the event too? Just send them this link: Over 18s Digital Monthly Meet-ups
Apply today
What next?
After we’ve received your registration/consent form we will check you meet the criteria with the key hospital contact you have listed in the form. We’ll then be back in touch to let you know if your place has been confirmed. You will then be verified for 1 calendar year and we will send you information out each month with instructions to join the sessions.
If you want to know more about signing up please email us at: [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
You can apply now! Fill in the registration and consent form and we’ll do the rest!
Any device with a camera and microphone that can access the Microsoft Teams app, and a working WiFi connection. All sessions will be run through MS Teams and any additional resources will be provided by us free of charge. Further information about how the sessions will be run is included in the Digital Peer Support Terms and Conditions attached to the registration/consent form.
In line with our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-24, we want to make sure that the programme is as inclusive and accessible as possible. We welcome, value and respect everyone no matter what your identity or background, and we want you to be able to be yourself throughout all our sessions. If there is anything we can do to make this programme and the application process more inclusive for you, please email [email protected] and let us know.
Young people tell us that having huge numbers can reduce how personal and social digital sessions feel. Therefore for each session regardless of how many young people sign up you will be put into in a breakout room with approximately 10 young people. Each breakout room will then be individually staffed by experienced workers who will create a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
We are keen to open this event out to all young people who meet the criteria above, including those who have been recently diagnosed. We understand that during treatment it is hard to predict how you may feel on any given day. Do not worry about having to cancel at any point - if we’ve sent you some resources, just keep them for when you are feeling better and we will hopefully see you at future sessions!
No, not at all. We are keen for you to be able to pick and choose the sessions you want to come to. However we would encourage you to try some activities even if it isn’t your thing – they will never require any pre-existing skills or experience and the main thing is that we have some time to chat and catch up and the activity itself is less important!
Some of the sessions may involve ingredients being sent out. Our registration form therefore contains both allergy and dietary requirement questions, so please answer this in as much detail as you can, and we will ensure we always adhere to these requests.
No, the whole programme is entirely free of charge and you will be sent all additional resources needed.
Virtually all young people who sign up will not know each other prior to the programme starting - so while you may feel nervous about joining, lots of other young people will feel the same way. We will aim to put everyone at ease, so that everyone can relax and get to know each other quickly.
We need to be certain that young people are who they say they are. This is to ensure the safety of the group as well as making sure all young people fit the criteria above. The verification will be a simple process – more information on this is contained in the registration form.
The group itself doesn’t have a maximum number of places, however each session will be capped at 30 young people. This means when sending out monthly invites it is important to sign up and we will ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to join each month. If we are regularly oversubscribed, we will look into making more places available. Remember that even if 30 young people sign up for a single session that this will be split into smaller groups when it takes place.