Thursday Girls

09/12/2025

If you are feeling hungry, head into Grill’d Burwood where you can vote for Thursday Girls using a token in the Local Matters jar.

Thursday Girls was approached by Kai, the store manager to participate in December. It’s a great way to build our profile, raising awareness in the local community.

We are hoping to reach more women, along with their family and friends, who have been diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer and are looking for free therapeutic support via our weekly group sessions.

So head on over and support both us and Grill’D with your purchase!

PS there’s a 24 hour Kmart next door for all your last minute shopping needs

Located at 172 Burwood Highway, Burwood East.

09/12/2025

Here’s our new office in the Queen Vic Women’s Centre.

This is where we held our annual planning day on Sunday, and were very pleased to have some of our newer members, board members, facilitators and volunteers represented.

It was very productive and we have given ourselves a lot of work to do next year.

If you have been waiting for the right time to get more involved, please reach out via our email: contact@thursdaygirls.org.

We have some big plans around running information days for carers, family and friends of those diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer, along with strengthening our relationships with complementary and referring organisations.

Of course, there are a number of fundraising initiatives in the works, so we’d love to have some extra hands on deck.

We do have a couple of Board opportunities available as well - so you can see wha goes on behind the curtain and make a real difference to our members.

It’s a busy time of year, so enjoy all the festivities and reach out when you are ready!

05/12/2025

Banking with Community Bank Inner East means giving back! Their profit-sharing model directly supports groups/clubs/organisations like ours.

Big thanks to Community Bank Inner East for your ongoing sponsorship. 🩷🙏

Call for a 5-minute health check on your home loan, mention Thursday Girls and help us retain this important strategic partnership.

02/12/2025

Last week we visited Bendigo to attend the final Counterpart Cancer Wellbeing Day for 2025. We met a few women who could benefit from our services, especially important to those in rural and regional Victoria and we were also lucky enough to join in some activities designed to calm your mind, keep your body active and provide valuable information - things which can benefit all of us.

A particular highlight was seeing the work of Tess Devere referenced in a discussion about intimacy. Tess was a member who died earlier this year, so it bittersweet to see their name up in lights.

We would like to take a moment to thank Counterpart for allowing us to attend these days across the year and the state of Victoria, connect with local health providers and share what we do with members of the rural and regional communities.

02/12/2025

Last week we visited Bendigo to attend the final Counterpart Cancer Wellbeing Day. We met a few women who could benefit from our services, especially important to those in rural and regional Victoria.

We would like to take a moment to thank Counterpart for allowing us to attend these days, connect with local health providers and share what we do with members of the rural and regional communities.

And that’s a wrap! It was a pleasure to host our final Regional Wellbeing Day of 2025 in Bendigo last week. We are deeply grateful to our partner Bendigo Health for helping make this event possible.

We sincerely appreciate everyone who attended, your presence at this event shows real commitment to wellbeing and community connection.

We are thankful for the organisations who joined us and shared valuable resources: NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia, Mending Casts Inc, Look Good Feel Better - Australia (LGFB), Leukaemia Foundation and Thursday Girls.

We are appreciative of the local MPs who joined us: Gaelle Broad MP and Hon Maree Edwards MP.

A heartfelt thank you to our presenters for their informative and supportive sessions:
• Lara Likos: Gentle movement session that encouraged relaxation and connection with the body
• Krista Phillips: Cancer, Context and Connection — a thoughtful conversation about revisiting sexual wellbeing
• Fionna McColl: Mindful activity that offered calm and grounding practices

And special mention to our volunteer, Jenny F who generously gave her time and energy to support the day and represent Counterpart.

Together, we celebrated community, shared knowledge, and created space for wellbeing. Bendigo, thank you for showing up and closing out 2025 with such warmth and energy.

We look forward to hosting more regional wellbeing days in 2026, kicking things off with Geelong in February, more information to come.

30/11/2025

This November, our hearts turn to three cherished members whose memories continue to guide and strengthen us.

We remember Linda (2019), Jill (2023) and Miriam who died earlier this month.

As we reflect this November, we celebrate the love, laughter and connection these wonderful women shared with us. Their memories remain alive in our stories, our friendships and the way we continue to come together as a group.

Always remembered, always loved. 🩷🩷🩷

26/11/2025

Last night was the Caulfield Volunteer Awards for 2025.

It was a great honour to be acknowledged as the winner of the Community Category with thanks to Local Heroes and .

It was a great chance to share the work of Thursday Girls with a new audience, and I hope it results in some more women finding us, so they don’t have to go through advanced breast cancer alone.

The video was made at Victorian Tennis Academy, a local Caulfield business who I have worked on fundraisers with in the past for Breast Cancer, and who have in turn donated prizes to Thursday Girls. Just in case you’re wondering why we’re playing tennis 😆

I did notice that the majority of volunteers were at the older end of the scale, so I wanted to encourage people of all ages to ask your favourite charity how you can help. It may not be us, but if it is, please email contact@thursdaygirls.org.

This award inspires me to keep giving back to the community we share.

18/11/2025

Exciting news! Thursday Girls Group now has a home. We just commenced moving into the historic Queen Vic Women’s Centre in Lonsdale St, part of the QV complex.

This is a major move for us - we have never had a place to call our own, working out of our homes and meeting in cafes for years.

Our in person group will continue to meet at Box Hill Golf Club thanks to the generousity of the team there. However in the future, it gives us an opportunity to hold an additional group in a central location, making it more accessible for those in the Western and Southern parts of Melbourne.

Keep an eye out for details of an opening once we have completed our move.

We are still a part time run organisation, so will not be on site every day, however if you are one of our rural and regional members - give us some notice when you are coming into town and we would love to come and meet you.

We are so excited to be at the QVWC surrounded by other wonderful organisations providing critical women’s services. Thanks to CEO Keryn Negri and the team at QVWC for making us feel so welcome already.

❤️

29/10/2025

Each month we think about those of our members who have died in this month over the years. This month there is only one.

Martine Hibbert died on 12 October 2024. She was an active member, who attended our planning days and wanted to give back to the community that supported her.

When, at our recent fundraiser, Marianne read out the names of all the women who had died just since she joined Thursday Girls in 2019, it was a powerful and emotional moment for everyone in the room.

Acknowledgement of those who came before was a stark reminder of how many Thursday Girls have died in the last six years alone. Women who benefited from the connection and care of our service.

We are thinking of Martine this month, and will continue to work hard to ensure Thursday Girls Group will be here for all those women who need us in the future.

23/10/2025

Did you know that Thursday Girls Group is a member of the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program? This week is Invisible Disabilities Week, which gives us an opportunity to talk about the program.

In practical terms, Metastatic Breast Cancer can be considered a chronic illness, which is not immediately obvious to others.

For some people, this can make it hard to understand and believe that someone, with a “non-visible” condition genuinely needs support.

That is why the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower was created - to encourage inclusivity, acceptance and understanding.

It is a simple tool for you to share that you have a hidden disability voluntarily. Simply by wearing the Sunflower, you’re just letting everyone know that you might need extra help, understanding, or just more time.

Some of the issues our members can face, depending on their current treatment, include fatigue, instability and mobility to name a few. Organisations around the world have signed up to be a part of the program, as businesses or members. Businesses who join recognise the symbol and will give you any extra support you may need.

We provide our members with Sunflower lanyards so that if they are feeling a bit wobbly, supporting organisations can easily identify that they might need a bit more support. One of our members wore hers when traveling in the UK this year and found it was helpful at times.

You can easily find out which organisations have joined the Sunflower program in your local area or when travelling overseas by heading to the HDSunflower website https://hdsunflower.com/au/find-the-sunflower

21/10/2025

Thursday Girls Group is proudly supported by Community Bank Inner East, part of Bendigo Bank. After receiving a $5,000 grant this year, we met with Kate Bellamy, the Community Engagement Advisor, who shared with us how to maximise our partnership.

Did you know that if you conduct a 5 minute Home Loan Health Check with Community Bank Inner East and mention our name, we will be in a stronger position next year to be eligible for another grant.

You never know, it may be the best 5 minute conversation you have this week.

Contact Kate Bellamy, who represents Ashburton, Balwyn, Canterbury & Surrey Hills
M 0478 435 736 E kate.bellamy@bendigoadelaide.com.au



Community Bank Inner East

21/10/2025

Thursday Girls Group regularly attends Counterpart's Wellbeing Days for women with a cancer diagnosis - most often out in the rural and regional parts of Victoria.

Over the last 18 months, this has included Geelong, Ballarat, Hamilton, Apollo Bay, Echuca, Swan Hill, Wangaratta, Traralgon and Colac.

More than just a scenic road trip by Thursday Girls Group Volunteers, these days give us a chance to meet the local health support teams for cancer patients, including Breast Care Nurses, manager of the local cancer support centres and local practitioners in exercise physiology, art therapy, dieticians and many other disciplines. Sometimes we connect with women with Metastatic Breast Cancer, and sometimes they join our group, after meeting us in person. We make good connections and can explain better what we do.

We always come away feeling lighter than when we arrived, and I'm sure you'll be the same.

If you live in West Metro Melbourne (or further afield), today is the last day for registrations at next Tuesday's Wellbeing Day at Whitten Oval.

Looking forward to another great day!

Click the link to register: http://counterpart.org.au/events