Bronwen Griffiths from the Cancer Support Group on healthcare in Mallorca and what every international resident needs to watch out for.

In this episode, Vicki sits down with Bronwen Griffiths, president of Cancer Support Mallorca, to talk about her remarkable life in Spain and the charity’s work supporting people affected by cancer on the island. Bronwen shares how she moved from the UK to Spain in her twenties, built a life across Menorca and Mallorca, spent decades teaching at Bellver International College, and eventually stepped into one of the island’s most important volunteer roles. Together, they discuss language, belonging, paperwork, healthcare, family life abroad, and why nobody facing cancer in Mallorca should feel they have to do it alone.What happens when you move to Spain in your twenties for love, build a life on the islands, raise a family, teach generations of children, and then find yourself leading one of Mallorca’s most important charities?In this episode of Majorca Mallorca, Vicki talks to Bronwen Griffiths, president of Cancer Support Mallorca, about her 50 years in Spain, her life between Menorca and Mallorca, and the work the charity does for people facing cancer far from home.Bronwen talks about arriving in Spain in a very different era, learning the language from scratch, adapting to island life, and spending 32 years teaching at Bellver International College. She also explains how Cancer Support Mallorca helps patients and families navigate one of the hardest experiences life can throw at them.They discuss practical support, hospital appointments, translation help, counselling, nutrition, wigs, transport, end of life planning, volunteering, and the realities of private versus public healthcare in Spain. It is a warm, honest and deeply useful conversation for anyone living in Mallorca, especially those who may one day need help, or want to offer it.In this episode:Bronwen’s journey from London to SpainLife in Menorca and Mallorca in the 1970s and 80sLearning Spanish and finding your place abroad32 years at Bellver International CollegeWhat Cancer Support Mallorca actually doesWhy paperwork matters so much in SpainThe difference between private and public healthcare in serious illnessVolunteering, fundraising and community support on the islandUseful linksCancer Support Mallorca cancersupportmallorca.comContact Cancer Support Mallorca [email protected] WhatsApp: +34 659 887 455Cancer Support Mallorca publicly lists support including patient drop-in centres, emotional support, nutrition advice, translators, transport, practical help, oncology materials and volunteer programmes.00:00 Intro 04:06 How long Bronwen has been in Spain and Mallorca 04:39 Leaving the UK at 23 after a holiday romance 05:23 Life in Menorca, hotel work and moving around Spain 07:44 Being a young British woman in Menorca in the 1970s 10:08 Learning Spanish and settling into island life 12:08 Leaving teaching in the UK behind 13:20 Family, friendship and community in Spain 16:00 Returning to teaching at Bellver International College 18:27 Retirement, daughters and grandchildren 20:00 Raising bilingual children 22:00 Why making the effort with language matters 25:00 Taking over Cancer Support Mallorca 26:14 How the group began 27:25 What Cancer Support Mallorca actually does 29:21 Nutrition, counselling and buddy support 32:42 Living through cancer and speaking openly about fear 34:00 End of life planning and practical help for families 36:34 Funding, volunteers and how the charity runs 39:53 Hospital drop-in centres and awareness 41:02 Wigs, scarves and support materials 42:11 The art group and knitting group 43:00 Fundraising and the annual walk 46:54 How many patients are being supported now 47:20 Private versus public healthcare in Mallorca 50:00 Why getting your paperwork in order matters 55:00 Helping patients navigate bureaucracy 56:51 The future of the charity and volunteering 58:38 Who volunteers and how the organisation works 01:00:34 Where to find Cancer Support MallorcaSign up for our free newsletter here. https://majorca-mallorca.esPlease follow Majorca Mallorca on Social Media:FACEBOOK PAGE https://www.facebook.com/MajorcaMallorca.esFACEBOOK GROUP https://www.facebook.com/groups/MajorcaMallorcaINSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/majorcamallorcapodcast/You can email MM on [email protected]