World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2023 workshops facilitate ideas and collaborations

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum took place in Madrid, Spain on October 19, 2023. It was our annual opportunity to bring our bladder cancer patient organisations, charities and those who are making steps in starting their own bladder cancer patient group in their own community.

The morning kicked off with reflections on the Bladder Cancer Awareness Month of past May. Marie Magenhann Cueto, Communications and Community Engagement Assistant at WBCPC, shared the campaign highlights, key achievements and metrics, which point to another year of growing campaign impact. We emphasised the collective strides made with the campaign and invited members to share feedback and ideas during the workshops. Member insights are a cornerstone for the shaping of future campaigns, ensuring they resonate locally and are even more impactful.

During our morning session, WBCPC member organisations and aspiring bladder cancer patient advocates just starting out with their own groups worked together in hands-on collaborative workshops. These workshops aimed to foster collaboration, share ideas and guide the future work of the organisation.. The workshops were an active learning session for all of us and provided a chance to brainstorm, showcase ongoing projects, and inspire one another.

Together, our bladder cancer patient advocates developed ideas in the core focus areas of WBCPC of Raising awareness and Building Community. From existing grassroots examples to new creative solutions to our common challenges, participants developed concrete ideas for WBCPC community programmes to continue fostering community and raising much-needed bladder cancer awareness around the globe.

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2023 workshops were about making connections, learning and co-creating. Our members learnt from each other, inspired one another and empowered WBCPC to spearhead the implementation of the proposed ideas and initiatives that can help us build better support for those affected by bladder cancer around the world.