Cancer Fund for Children in Ireland
Cancer Fund for Children has announced exciting plans to extend the services it provides to families throughout Ireland.
We’re delighted that planning permission has been granted for a new therapeutic facility for families facing a devastating childhood cancer diagnosis at Lisloughrey, situated near Cong in County Mayo.
For over 40 years we have been delivering a wide range of support services to children and young people affected by cancer and their families in Northern Ireland, and for the last twenty years, we have also been providing short breaks to families caring for a child with cancer from across all of Ireland.
The new therapeutic centre in Mayo will further Cancer Fund for Children’s purpose – to ensure no family in Ireland must face cancer alone.
Gap in Support
In 2015 Cancer Fund for Children undertook research into the services provided to families throughout Ireland who are coping with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis. Our research revealed that aside from essential medical care and help from a small number of charities, overall support was scarce and fragmented.
As a result of these findings, and the fact that demand for therapeutic short breaks at Daisy Lodge, has exceeded available capacity (there are currently 50 families waiting to use the service at any given time) we have announced our plans to open a second facility in Co. Mayo Connacht.
For every family we support there are four more in need of a therapeutic short break. This new therapeutic short break centre in Co. Mayo will allow us to increase the number of families we support from 400 to 800 a year, ensuring more families across Ireland can access the essential non-clinical support they need.
Why Connacht?
We have chosen Connacht because our research and feedback has highlighted an increased level of isolation experienced by families living there. In addition, parents and children living in Connacht have the furthest distances to travel to their Dublin treatment hospitals and have very limited access to any community-based specialist support services.
Find out more about the project by watching this short video.
The Rory Foundation
Our plans are being backed by the Rory Foundation, the charitable foundation of four time Major Winner Rory McIlroy, who have pledged €1.2m as part of major donor strategy that will help turn our long term vision into a reality.
How You Can Get Involved
We’re absolutely delighted that planning permission has been granted for a new therapeutic short break centre in County Mayo, but we need your support to help make this dream a reality for families affected by cancer.
If you would like to support our appeal to build Daisy Lodge Co. Mayo please contact our Relationship Development Manager, Belinda Kearns on belinda@cancerfundforchildren.ie or call 353 8770 86484.
If you would like to hold your own event you can download our fundraising which is full of tips and ideas to get you started.
Rory Voices His Support
“Having seen Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, County Down being developed from its foundations to what it is today is amazing. I’ve been back a couple of times since it opened and the facilities are exceptional. I have no doubt it will be the same in County Mayo. I am honoured to be able to support a second project.”
Rory McIlroy, Rory Foundation
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