History of CHYPS

In 1993 following treatment for bowel cancer, Peggy Tapper found herself in need of emotional support, from someone outside her family, and from someone to whom she could speak confidentially about her fears and anxieties. Peggy did not want to discuss her feelings with her husband and family, fearing that if she unloaded her fears and anxieties, she would be adding to their burden.

Realising she was not alone, and that with no such available resource, many others were slipping through the net following diagnosis and/or after treatment, Peggy eventually discussed her feelings with her husband David, and together they formed Gwent Cancer Support. A place or Cancer patients to come and talk during their time of need, before, during and after treatment.

After Peggy’s son failed his A-levels, and eventually explained to his Mum that worrying about her and bottling up his feelings was unbearable, she realised that children of Cancer patients needed extra support too.

The realisation that there was no-one for youngsters to turn for advice and support forced Peggy to set up CHYPS Gwent Cancer Support Young Persons Project, and consequently on 19th. April 2001, The Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy M.P., Secretary of State for Wales, launched the project, in order to offer emotional support for young people between the ages of 11 and 21 years.

Thanks to funding from The Big Lottery, we are able to cover the whole of Gwent, providing trained Counsellors and Befrienders, helping people over the telephone, on site or by home/hospital visits.  Our Counsellors and Befrienders are all volunteers, but have undergone training in basic/advanced counselling skills.  We listen to people’s fears, offer support, and provide information so that people can make informed choices about their treatment – BUT WE NEVER GIVE ADVICE,  EITHER PERSONAL OR MEDICAL.  We are NOT medically trained, and we do not remove the element of control and responsibility from the individual.

We are here!

Initially, here at CHYPS we supported children and young people with a parent, sibling or friend affected by cancer.  Early in 2014, we opened up our services to include all serious long-term health conditions to enable us to provide help for even more young people.

We provide a twenty-four hour support line, staffed by trained volunteers, and we are also setting up Peer Support Groups in schools and colleges.  Proud to be client-led, we have a trained therapist on site offering complimentary therapies, such as Reiki, Indian head massage, Aromatherapy, Massage and Reflexology. Additional supportive therapies have also been developed e.g. relaxation and visualisation, use of crystal therapy and ‘working with Angels’, and we can offer Storytelling therapy along with children’s art groups.