Cancer Charities Grant Scheme to support Cancer Fund for Children
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced 16 cancer service charities, including Cancer Fund for Children, will benefit from a share of the Cancer Charities Grant Scheme, funded by the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Support.
The grant scheme will ensure charities, voluntary and community sector organisations can deliver cancer support services and projects across local communities in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the services provided by local charities are invaluable.
Every week in Northern Ireland, up to 3 children and young people (aged 0–24) are diagnosed with cancer and many more young people are living with a sibling or parent with cancer, or experiencing bereavement. The vital funds received through this scheme will make a significant difference, helping us to continue to be there for these families when they need us most, whether that be in hospital, in the community, or during a short break at Daisy Lodge. We are sincerely grateful for this investment in our vision to ensure no child faces cancer alone and the positive impact it will have on families across Northern Ireland.
Neil Symington, Director of Services at Cancer Fund for Children
This funding scheme will help transform the lives of people living with cancer and their families, offering personalised support in a community setting. Working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support has enabled an innovative approach with the focus firmly on meeting the needs of those affected by cancer. At the heart of this scheme is the need to move care closer to people’s homes and strengthening support in communities across Northern Ireland. By empowering charities to deliver earlier, more localised support, we can help people stay well for longer and reduce avoidable pressure on hospital services. I would like to thank Macmillan Cancer Support for their generous funding; this scheme truly shows how much government and the charitable sector can achieve by working collaboratively.
Mike Nesbitt, Health Minister for Northern Ireland
The funding will support services including mental health support, rehabilitation and prehabilitation, transport services, awareness and education initiatives and programmes addressing health inequalities.
It’s brilliant to see the first of the grants being put into action and the benefits it will bring to people with cancer in the local area. These projects announced today are exactly the kind of programmes the grant scheme was set up to fund, to ensure people with cancer receive the personalised care they need, close to home and delivered from within their communities. It’s only by working together with local charities and communities that we can close some of the gaps in cancer care that we see too often today.
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support