Buddy support impact

Many people find it helps to speak with someone who understands what they are going through. Our buddy service offers peer support from trained volunteers. They may be patients or carers. Our buddies have relevant lived experience of blood cancer.

It's ideal when the service connects people with the same condition. Buddies share their experiences and offer reassurance to other patients and carers. They provide a listening ear and one-to-one support. This may be by phone or email.

Some people need a buddy after a diagnosis, before or during treatment. Others need buddy support while on active monitoring or after treatment. Speaking with someone who has been through a similar situation can really help. People feel understood and more confident managing the challenges of blood cancer.

We are training new volunteers to help us expand the service. So we can support more people in the future.

In 2025, Leukaemia Care's buddy service:

• Matched 106 people with a buddy
• Trained 30 new volunteers
• Enabled people to talk with someone who had experienced a similar journey.

Through shared experience and understanding, the buddy service helps build people's confidence. It helps patients and carers feel supported as they navigate life with blood cancer.