In treatment or in remission
Our online Break Out programme gives you the chance to be part of a small group of young adults with cancer, connecting with each other, sharing experiences, and offering support.
Whether you’re going through treatment, recently finished, or finished treatment years ago – this programme is about dealing with the impact of cancer, no matter where you are in your cancer experience (though if you’re living with incurable or chronic cancer, please do take a look at our Shine Circles programme).
It gives you the opportunity to join a small group who meet up over six weeks to join in facilitated discussions about the topics that often don’t get talked about: living with uncertainty, relationships, finding purpose and balance after a diagnosis, and more.
You are eligible for this online programme if:
- you have not done an online programme or Shake Up Max before
- you are currently aged 20-49
- you were diagnosed with cancer after the age of 18.
Our next Break Out programme will run on Tuesday evenings (6.30-8.30pm) from 19th Jan – 2nd March 2027 (with a break on 16th Feb). Applications are open now and close on Dec 11th.
Last updated 29 September 2026
About the programme
The Break Out programme is an online programme designed to give you the opportunities to meet others who are going through the same thing. We know that being a young adult with cancer can be lonely and difficult and we’re hoping this programme will help you feel more connected and confident.
We’d like to offer this programme to as many people as possible who haven’t already accessed similar support, so it’s not open to people who have already been on an online programme or attended our Shake Up Max or Great Escape events in the past.
How does it work?
Each Break Out group will have up to 12 people each. We’ll meet weekly for 2 hours over six weeks. Each week, we’ll spend some time chatting, sharing experiences, and discussing different topics. But we’ll have fun too and we promise it won’t be gloomy.
When is it?
Our next Break Out programme will run on Tuesday evenings (6.30-8.30pm) from 19th Jan – 2nd March (with a break on 16th Feb).
How much does it cost?
It’s free! Yes, really! We will ask everyone who participates to pay a refundable £50 deposit. Because these are small groups and our programmes are always oversubscribed, we’re asking for a deposit so that we can confirm your spot and make sure others don’t lose out. We’ll return the money as soon as the programme finishes. Please don’t let the deposit put you off applying. If you’re tight on cash, just let us know and we can have a chat about it.
Questions?
Drop us a line at hi@shinecancersupport.org and we’ll get back to you asap.
Experiences of the programme
Jenni’s experience of the Break Out programme
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia when I was 33, and had a stem cell transplant a year ago when I was 34. I signed up to the Break Out programme in early 2021 after seeing it advertised on Shine’s Facebook group. I was finding that, despite being in remission and ‘over the worst’ medically, cancer had affected every aspect of my life and I really needed a space in which to talk about this and process it, with people who might understand my experience.
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The Break Out programme introduced me to a fantastic group of peers and provided a series of useful conversation starters that allowed us all to share our experiences, fears, frustrations and a surprising amount of laughs too. I don’t think I realised until I met the group how much I needed this. I have a supportive network of family and friends but I don’t want my cancer to dominate those relationships. The Break Out programme was a space where I felt like I had permission to whine as much as I liked and where no problem felt too small or trivial.
The tools and techniques that we explored on the programme were really helpful for managing anxiety and communicating with others. Everything was offered gently and we were invited to adapt the ideas, which in the case of the cancer metaphors session was great fun.
I would really encourage anybody who’s gone through a cancer diagnosis in their 20s, 30s or 40s to sign up for the Break Out Programme. It’s honestly such a relief to meet people who you don’t have to explain everything to, and to talk through all the cancer-related stuff that doesn’t seem to ‘fit’ in your medical consultations. The small group size makes it easy to get to know people, and the fact that the group leaders have all gone through cancer themselves gives the programme a real warmth. It’s also a great way to get to know other Shine members which will make me more likely to attend Shine events in the future and benefit from their awesome support in the future.
Caroline’s experience of the Break Out programme
I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 31, in 2018. I signed up for the Break Out programme because I was struggling. Although I finished my treatment in 2019 getting back to ‘normal’ hasn’t been easy and I kind of felt I’d become a bit ‘stuck’ a bit negative about a lot of things. I still suffer with side effects from treatment and I’m also still dealing with the trauma of what happened.
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There is the fear of it coming back, scanxiety for my appointment check ups and I really wanted to just meet people who were my age and dealing with the same kind of challenges.
The programme was brilliant. It really helped meeting others who were my age and who had been through similar experiences, who understood and just got it. It helped to talk through everything in a safe space and start to deal with what happened, grieve for what we have lost, and also to start to look forward.
For anyone who is wondering about joining the programme I’d say “Go for it!”. I was nervous but it was such a great thing to do and so amazing to make friends along the way. The Shine team are incredibly welcoming and supportive they are there 100% of the way so definitely try it. It’s so worth it.
Natasha’s experience of the Break Out programme
I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer at age 31, in November 2019.
Throughout my treatment, I did not met anyone my age going through a similar experience and I really wanted to find other people who understood what I was going through. I was also receiving treatment while shielding so the lack of social contact was very isolating.
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When I saw that Shine was running a Break Out programme, it was exactly what I needed and I was so glad there was still support out there. I was nervous to apply but I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I am really glad that I did.
The Break Out programme allowed me a safe space where I could talk freely for the first time about my cancer diagnosis and share my thoughts and feelings with people who just ‘got it’. Each session had a theme related to how cancer impacts our lives and from this there was a lot of support and practical advice I could use in trying to cope with life after treatment. Everyone on the programme was really supportive of each other and even now after the programme has finished, we all still keep in contact. By being a part of the programme, I have not only made a new group of friends but I also became more informed on how to cope with my life, post cancer diagnosis.
I was feeling very lost after finishing my treatment and was finding the process of trying to come to terms with my post cancer life quite difficult but taking the step to join the Break Out programme has helped me feel more prepared and a little less anxious about the future. I would definitely recommended signing up for the Break Out programme, I know that it may seem daunting and I was really nervous to apply but the advice and support I received and the friendships that I made were all worth my initial nerves.
Miriam’s experience of the Break Out programme
I am 28 and was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in January 2021.
I decided to sign up for the Break Out programme because my experience with cancer was very lonely. Getting loads of tests during the pandemic was a strange experience with family far away, and to top it off, my operation clashed with Christmas!
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I received my diagnosis over the phone, and for several months I didn’t see anyone who could help me understand what to expect next. I wanted a space which would help me understand what had happened and meet other people with similar experiences.
The programme was really well facilitated and it made such a difference that the facilitators had lived experience themselves. The discussion spaces were so accepting – it was a relief to be able to voice some of the feelings I’d had and people just got it. We also went through lots of tools for processing, from breathing techniques to ways to achieve goals and manage big tasks. I found these useful both in a cancer context and for processing other aspects of life too. We also have a lovely Whatsapp group for members of the group which is often lots of dog pictures and beach pictures!
I wondered whether it was the right space for me because my experience with cancer “wasn’t that bad” – or so I’d tell myself! No chemo, a successful operation, no recurrence so far (touch wood!), so before coming to the programme, I worried that my situation was an “easy ride” compared to others. I had a call with a member of the Shine team before the programme and he introduced me to the idea of avoiding “cancer top trumps” and how we shouldn’t compare experiences because all of them are hard and all of them are individual. In the group there was a real mix – some people in active treatment and some who were post-treatment and looking to process the experience. I’m really glad I gave myself permission to take up that space, because I wasn’t an outlier at all. There was no such thing!
Sarah’s experience of the Break Out programme
Shine’s Break Out Programme came along at the right time for me – I found out that I had relapsed and was feeling like I did at diagnosis once again: anxious, uncertain, alone and, this time around, cheated that I’d had to spend the bulk of my remission shielding by myself and unable to enjoy my relative good health. I felt I was in need of support and direction from people who would understand and empathise with my experiences.
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The Breakout Programme began with a kick-off session on a Friday morning, at which participants got to meet each other and the Shine team. I had been slightly apprehensive about meeting a bunch of strangers over Zoom but needn’t have been; the atmosphere was friendly and informal, and I found that there was something immediately safe and reassuring about being around other people who knew first-hand what it’s like to receive a cancer diagnosis and to undergo treatment.
Thereafter I really looked forward to my weekly group meeting. It gave my week a focal point and I enjoyed the camaraderie and solidarity that developed within my group. There was always a strong sense of empathy (and numerous heart emojis on screen!) when we shared our experiences and even when we touched on sensitive topics, there would always be humour – no group session was complete without a dose of feel-good laughter!
The tools and strategies that the programme provided, along with the peer support, were particularly valuable to me, as I am the only person in my family and among my closest friends to have been diagnosed with cancer. Although I am immensely fortunate to have a tight network of caring friends and family, it can still be isolating to be the ‘odd one out’ with cancer. I benefited from the Breakout Programme by being with others in a similar situation to me, and from the weekly discussions and exercises we undertook, which helped me to navigate and move on from some of the uncertainty, anxiety and loss that my illness has created.