About Us

Welcome to the ‘Sickle Cell Care, Advocacy, Unity, Support with Empathy’ Action Support Group, otherwise known as ‘SC. CAUSE’.

Our mission is to actively address and meet the needs of our Sickle Cell Community Countrywide by connecting with existing and emerging Sickle Cell Support Groups, individual Warriors (Sickle Cell affected persons) and their carers in order to deliver effective awareness programs and tailored support services.

SC.CAUSE derived its name by using the services, values and principles upon which we stand; to create the acronym ‘CAUSE’.

 

Care

Nurse Martha

1958 ~ 2021

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‘My mum saw and dealt with the person, not just 

the dis-ease’ (Dorcus Mukupa, 2023)

In order to really care about anything, there has to be some level of understanding of what that thing is, what it involves and how it impacts on those affected. 

With many years of volunteering experience within the arena of Sickle Cell support, the founding members of SC.Cause have been heavily exposed to the Warriors echoes of pain and expressed feelings of being unheard, unseen, misunderstood and under-supported, our Sickle Cell Awareness programmes aim to turn these experiences around,

However, even with the Awareness of what Sickle Cell is, it really does take special people with sheer dedication and passion to fight the Sickle Cell Warrior plight which without genuine CARE and understanding would be impossible.    

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Above was a powerful statement expressed at our World Sickle Cell Day event 2023

by Dorcus Mukupta, the daughter of Martha Chitalu Mukupa most popularly known as Nurse Martha or Mama Martha Muli by the North Middlesex, Sickle Cell inpatients and The George Marsh Centre users 2002 - 2013.

Nurse Martha was well known for her listening ear and genuine care… 

Even after retiring she gave of herself extensively to the Sickle Cell Community and partnered with SC.CAUSE to deliver Awareness Programmes across several UK based higher education establishments and Pentecostal churches.

 

Nurse Martha’ exemplary example of Care and dedicated service epitomises the quality and character of an individual we look for in our committee members, volunteers, partners and supporters.  

It is a key value for SC.CAUSE to ensure all Warriors using our services are heard, acknowledged and validated. Our members must feel and know that without a doubt they will be treated with the maximum degree of CARE and overstanding. care is the core value fueling our SC.CAUSE: Members Patient Support Service.  

 

Advocacy & Awareness

I heard...

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‘Charity starts at home! People please look after your own’ (MrTi2bs)

At the helm of this group are individuals who have had to fight for their basic needs such as for correct Housing Conditions, General Practitioner support and access to eligible Income Benefits.

We have anchored these challenges as the benchmark to work from in meeting the needs of our community as a whole.

Through our Advocacy & Awareness Workshops we have been able to empower and equip Warriors with both knowledge and tools to encourage self-help & personal responsibility.    

As a group, we are not afraid to speak up for ourselves, we WILL ask the questions and SEEK the solutions to attain better health and well-being outcomes, medical treatment solutions, and an overall improved quality of life.

 

Unity

Ubuntu, meaning...

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‘I am because we are!’ Is the SC.CAUSE standpoint.

We work with other Sickle Cell support groups, our partners and supporters not only to pool our resources, knowledge and expertise, but to share our experiences, our stories, our struggles and triumphs. We come together to share our values, culture and traditions to unite, to give service to one another and to overcome our challenges together.  

With the unity and support of our wider community we have been able to achieve great successes such as the SAVE THE GEORGE MARSH CENTER project and we know much more can be achieved when we come together on our common goals.  

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Support

At its core... our

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‘I see you’ support is peer to peer led and delivered.

Through our SC.CAUSE Peer to Peer Action & Support Group we are all members providing each other both emotional and practical support. We encourage and embrace meaningful communication, providing a safe space to listen and empathise without prejudice.  

We stand, hold hands and walk side by side in times of trouble and strife.  

We see and embrace each others gifts, skills, talents and potential by offering, sharing, providing and using each others services such as counselling, business building, professional organising, nutrition and holistic therapy, healthy cooking demonstrations, 

We bond and belly laugh, bringing our families together on day trip activities and outings. 

We know how to Support our members because it’s the very same support we need and seek for ourselves.

 

Empathy

As the saying goes...

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‘Who feels it knows it!’ 

As a group we can truly identify with our members because we are directly affected by Sickle Cell with first hand knowledge and experience of the health (physical, mental, emotional) medical and social challenges that emerge from living with such a debilitating condition; and are therefore in the prime position to truly emphasise. We have no ulterior motive other than to address and meet the well-being needs of our peers, to seek and offer appropriate support without stereotypical malice, ignorance, dis-belief, sarcasm, ill or misplaced sympathy. Our SC.CAUSE Warriors Support Group Offers genuine Empathy, inclusion, encouragement and strength to inspire and bring about a stronger foundation for our Sickle Cell Support.