About Us

Pontyclun Bosom Pals is celebrating its 17 th year in 2025.

We are a truly remarkable group of ladies and supporters who support cancer patients and their families through surgery,
treatment and beyond. Members are from all areas including Pontypridd through to Pencoed.

We meet monthly on the first Wednesday of each month between 11am and 1pm for a friendly chat to support one another. These
meetings can include talks from guest speakers, varied topics and organising special calendar dates.
We meet at the Boars Head, Tyla Garw, Pontyclun. Councillor Wayne Owen is the landlord but also our Patron and dear friend. Susan
Owen is also our patron who runs Truffles based at the Boars Head.

Over the past two years 2023/24 and 2024/25, we have had a calendar of events throughout each month They included running
warming spaces from January through to end of March which have been highly successfully. In 2024 we also did ‘Turning Blue’ for
Dementia Awareness month, which again was so successful. We have also done fundraising events, fashion shows, special lunches, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

We have visited the Royal Mint experience, supported ‘Picnic in the park’ in Pontyclun, took part in a slow cooker course and been on theatre trips to the Millenium and the New Theatre. During the past 17 years, a special recognition for the group was the
invitation to the Queen’s Garden party at Buckingham Palace on the 5 th June 2018.

We also through RCT together, did ‘Multiple’ for nearly 16 weeks. This including knitting, sewing, crafting, gardening board games, all to help with our basic maths skills such as counting and measurements. This year in 2025, we will celebrate VE Day by participating in the era of 1945. We also plan to hold our 17 th year celebration on October 14 th . Sometimes during treatment we need a hug, a friendly smile, or a simple chat. We give all of this and we hope this helps in a small way through those darkest moments.

We have our own written constitution which is updated as required and have full public liability insurance. We are also required with
RCT to have a yearly lottery licence. We also have a safe guarding policy, a diversity policy and a full medical file on each member which is for an emergency situation so that a medical professional can be called upon if necessary.

We have a brand new website which was done by James from Digital PUK, beautiful memory photo books and leaflets. This new book is full of information and I hope you enjoy reading bout our story with such wonderful memories. It highlights some of the groups achievements over the past 17 years.

Where It All Began

Pontyclun Bosom Pals was originally started by one lady from Miskin, Barbara Powell, fourteen years ago, who had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
She had no members, no funding, and nowhere to meet. It’s a very traumatic time being given a diagnosis of Cancer and when all treatments and medical care have finished, it can be a feeling of being left in limbo, subsequently the group was formed for the main reason to have someone to chat too, give a hug, learn about their experiences and more.

Over the next few years, membership grew and a meeting place was found. New members began to help and bring new ideas and support to each other.