Cuan pop-up-shop starts the conversation

Getting people to talk about cancer is the idea behind a special pop-up-shop on Church Street in Cavan this week. Open from October 17-23, the Cuan shop won’t be selling anything, just dispensing wisdom, advice, support and answering questions as part of Cancer Awareness Week.
Since it came into being in 2013 Cuan has provided a range of supports for people battling cancer or post treatment. They offer an environment where members can relax and partake in gentle exercise and therapeutic treatments.
The group came about when interested cancer survivors started a discussion and decided to try and establish a psycho-social support group for the Cavan area. It is a platform for survivors to share stories and experiences.
Since then many cups of coffee, tea and chats have been shared. Kerry Mullen, secretary of Cuan, said that the initiative is part of a national effort: “We are a cancer support group affiliated to the Irish Cancer Society. We were asked us to take part in Cancer Awareness Week and that is where the idea for the pop-up-shop came from.
“We hope that the week will raising awareness. There has been many advances in cancer care and treatment. We will have posters and literature in the shop, but it will be about talking to people, offering a cup of tea and engaging in conversation. We are not experts, but we will be able to point people in the right direction.”
Kerry says that there will be no difficulty in finding them on Church Street as the pop-up-shop will have Cancer Awareness Week balloons prominently displayed.
At present Cuan has 50 members who participate in the two groups that meet at different venues in the county: “We meet up in Cootehill every Tuesday and in Cavan Town on every second Thursday. The support group is for people who have received a diagnosis, are receiving treatment or have completed treatment and want to talk about their experience.”