Member meeting

Andy,

I did write a longer post much earlier today when I gave more details but each time I tried to post I got 'Access Denied' and lost the script and later posted an abbreviated version which lost a lot of detail. I will now add the additional info which will hopefully make all clear.

For many years due to his connection with another group, George Hardy arranged a meeting at The Mill on the Soar at Leicester, a large pub in a peaceful situation. At it's peak there must of been about 70 men including those bringing partners and family in attendance. George even booked accommodation there for those wishing to stay around the time of the meeting which was held in mid summer. Vegetarian and normal lunch was had in an upstairs room and talks followed. After this people congregated in the extensive outside gardens and in the evening many stayed for dinner and overnight in many cases. In deference to George, Prostate Cancer UK took over organising the event in 2018 and numbers fell substantially. I don't think this was attributable to the Charity; it could have been due to a number of factors. Maybe the fact that George regularly reminded members about the meeting helped. Anyway, the upshot was that Prostate Cancer UK decided not to arrange the meeting subsequently. This is a typical link from when George was organizing the event https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t11870-B2PCa---THE-MILL-2017--THE-10th-ANNIVERSARY.

What was said https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t21041-Meet-Up-2019

So there you have it!

Edited by member 19 Jan 2020 at 21:35  | Reason: Not specified

As Lyn has said most of the stalwarts of the old forum have gone and with them the "magic" they brought to the party, so to speak.

Some others did try to get smaller "get togethers" going (Newark springs to mind) and of course the annual Christmas gathering at the Euston Flyer in London (near the station of the same name) but in time these events have fallen by the wayside.

I personally see the way forward being based on regional annual get togethers where county support groups that meet regularly, liaise with adjoining groups to organise an annual bash.  This way no member should have to travel no further than say 50-60 miles or so to attend an annual gathering.

The big problem with this idea is that many counties don't have support groups and as such people living in those counties will be immediately stymied.  

Unless another "champion" rises from the forum's membership to take hold of the matter, I doubt if the likes of the Mill on the Soar get togethers will be seen again which is a real pity, as putting names to faces and socialising with those "faces" was something that many forum members and their wives and partners looked forward to each year.

I'm not being defeatist just pragmatic.  Perhaps the majority of men with PCa (and or their partners) now tend to seek support and close friendship with similar men via social networking and are happy with that particularly as social media has come on in leaps and bounds in the 15 years since the first annual get together took place.