Monthly Support Group Meetings
Support
We run virtual and face to face meetings for all Oesophageal-Gastric patients, carers and their families. Our groups are run by patients for patients, giving support from our lived experiences and discussing the day to day issues and life as a patient outside of the clinical settings and remit.
Our meeting dates are below.
You can also find patient support, information and resources from these other organisations.
Macmillian Cancer Support
Macmillan Cancer Support | The UK's leading cancer care charity
Action Against Heartburn (AAH)
https://www.actionagainstheartburn.org.uk/
Heartburn Cancer UK (HC UK)
https://heartburncanceruk.org/
GUTS UK
OPA Cancer Charity
Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE)
GI Alliance USA
https://gialliance.com/
Martha Raymond Foundation
https://www.theraymondfoundation.org/
Our favorite subject, eating, food and nutrition.
Recipes and tips from World Cancer Research Fund and Ryan Riley's Lifes Kitchen.
https://www.wcrf.org/living-well/living-with-cancer/ryan-riley/
A good friend and fellow patient, chef without a stomach, Hans Rueffert
Tips, guides and recipes from Digestive Cancers Europe
If you have anything that you feel will help other patients, please do let me know on dave@ogsupport.uk
We are a research friendly support group
Interested in getting involved or what to know more about research trials and studies?
We always have opportunities and projects we have been asked to help on, from 10 minute surveys, joining a focus group, getting involved as a PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) person and becoming a Patient Advocate.
Wish to have a chat about how to get involved with research, please do email us at suppguildford@gmail.com
We often have researchers and research presentations at our meetings as well as other charities letting us known what they are up to, please check the dates below for what is coming up at our meetings.
If there is a research project you wish to see presented at a meeting, or want to know more about the trials available, please do ask us.
The Pressure Consortium is a dedicated research group set up in 2024 just to work on OG cancer research internationally, we are part of their patient advocacy network and we planning a meeting where they can explain their work.
Pressure Consortium
Just for info, the latest NOGCA (National OG Cancer Audit) has just been released, please follow this link https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nogca-state-of-the-nation-report-september-2025/
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬!
DiCE (Digestive Cancers Europe)
If a digestive cancer diagnosis has impacted your life, whether through your own journey or that of someone close to you, we invite you to share your story with us.
Together, we can raise awareness, break down stigma, and bring hope to others navigating this path.
Please do contact us on 📩 info@digestivecancers.eu
AAH (Action Against Heartburn)
AAH are running their Oesophageal awareness week in the first week of February 2026 and are looking for patient stories to be the main feature of the week, so please do let me know and I will pass on your details to AAH.
https://www.actionagainstheartburn.org.uk/
Our 2025 Meetings
Meeting Venue: The Holiday Inn, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XZ
24 hr parking is free, please register your vehicle registration at the reception desk or use the QR code in room.
Free teas and coffees are available.
Thursday 29th May, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Freiburg Suite
* Fiona Labrooy from Heartburn Cancer UK and Alice Guazzeille from the SARONG trial
will be joining us to give short presentations.
Thursday 26th June, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Clandon Suite
*Aileen Philip, MacMillan Programme Manager, Psychology in Cancer Care, will be joining us
to talk about the MacMillan project of supporting patients living with cancer.
Thursday 31st July, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Onslow Suite
Isla Veal, who some of you met online recently when she talked about her exercise research project
is hoping to join us for a more in depth focus group.
Thursday 28th August, 6pm Virtual on Zoom, Meeting Link to follow nearer the date
Dr Lizzy Smyth and Richard Owen will present their research and will run a focus group
Thursday 25th September, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Clandon Suite
Thursday 30th October, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Onslow Suite
Thursday 27th November, 6pm Face to Face at the Holiday Inn, Guildford - Clandon Suite
Our end of year meeting celebrating 19 years of supporting patients
Topic of Cancer Choir performance
Buffet and refreshments
In the Club Suite - past the bar in the hotel main reception
Meetings for 2026 are being organised and will appear here within a few days
Our meetings are open to all patients, carers, family members and friends.
If you have any questions about the group or have questions you would like to ask others, please do let us know
No need to book a place or send apologies.
Please contact us if you wish to be added to our mailing list.