Vital Funding to Support People with Cancer

Vital Funding to Support People with Cancer

People affected by cancer will benefit from $950,000 in Commonwealth Government funding from new grants, aimed at improving the coordination, accessibility and development of quality cancer support networks.

Every year, Cancer Australia administers the Supporting People with Cancer Grant initiative, which provides community organisations with grants of up to $120,000 to support projects aimed at reducing the burden of cancer in our community.

This year, eight grants have been awarded across diverse areas of need, including support for: people with rare cancers; linguistically and culturally diverse communities; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities affected by cancer.

Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Helen Zorbas said, 'Cancer Australia is proud to administer the Supporting People with Cancer Grant scheme, which co-funds community initiatives to improve cancer information and support for all Australians, particularly for people with poorer cancer outcomes."

The Supporting People with Cancer Grant 2015 round has provided funding to the following projects:

A nurse-led lung cancer support service for the Lung Foundation of Australia, to provide clinically-based, patient-centred support for people affected by lung cancer and mesothelioma, including those in rural and regional communities.
The establishment of Aboriginal Cancer Support Networks to support local communities affected by cancer, by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council.
A University of Melbourne led program for the improvement of cancer symptom awareness among the Vietnamese community.
A cancer information and support webinar series for the Chinese community, an initiative of Cancer Council NSW.
A patient support program to be developed by Rare Cancers Australia for people affected by less common cancer types.
Evidence-based, culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible resources for Greek and Chinese women affected by secondary cancers, led by Breast Cancer Network Australia.
A Cancer Council Australia web-based resource for culturally and linguistically diverse communities affected by cancer.
A Cancer Council Queensland initiative to bring evidence-based cancer control courses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and organisations in rural and regional Queensland.

Since 2005, Cancer Australia has provided $6.3 million towards 94 community grants nation-wide.