Building Community

Fostering a global community of bladder cancer patient advocates

Bladder cancer patient groups, small and large, have an important role to play in improving the situation for patients and their families. It is our vision to establish a bladder cancer patient group in every country, and we are here to offer support every step of the way.

Our community of patient groups is growing – uniting the vision, experiences and goals of existing bladder cancer patient groups to support emerging ones and to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients around the world

The importance of national bladder cancer patient groups

We want to make sure that national bladder cancer patient organisations are strong enough to effectively support people affected by bladder cancer in each country, to elevate awareness and advocate for better diagnosis, treatment and care. Our network holds a wealth of experience in this area, and we are here to provide guidance and support to aid the work of national groups and individuals.

As a first step, we’ve created A Start-up guide (available in 6 languages) for new or fledging bladder cancer patient groups, which aims to provide support and guidance for anyone wishing to establish a bladder cancer patient group in their country. The guide was built together with our members and contains advice, information and tips, based on our experience setting up national patient organisations.

Furthermore, our World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum is the only global gathering for the bladder cancer community and serves as a platform for exchange of knowledge and information, collaboration and development of new innovative ideas. There is a need for international multi-stakeholder collaboration to achieve a common goal of improving the lives of people affected by bladder cancer no matter where they live in the world.

Our vision is to have a bladder cancer patient organisation established in each country, and that they are fully able to support people affected by bladder cancer. We’re here to help grow, connect and support these groups on their journey.
Dr Lydia Makaroff

President of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition; Chief Executive of Fight Bladder Cancer UK

Resources

Start-up guide for bladder cancer patient groups Download

Other focus areas

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