Helping people affected by cancer

Dry July Foundation funding retreats for families affected by breast cancer

The Otis Foundation sources time in holiday homes for the use of families affected by breast cancer. Owners donate the use of their holiday homes and Dry July's funding covers cleaning and linen services incurred in providing access at no charge to the recipients.

Queensland mother-of-three Heather Lloyd ( pictured with family) said the time she had spent with her family at a Sunshine Coast retreat following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 was both healing and powerful.

"It was a holiday we could not afford financially after treatment and loss of income, yet it was exactly what we all needed," she said.

Cancer Support Organisations Receive 2016 Dry July Funds – Projects Approved Totalling $1.7 million.

We’re delighted to announce the 41 recipients of this year’s Dry July Foundation Grant Program as part of the 2016 Dry July campaign.

Of the 16,700 Dry July participants, 12,000 of those gave up alcohol to directly support the Dry July Foundation in 2016, with money raised being allocated to the Grant Program in their state. Cancer support organisations in each state were then invited to submit applications to benefit from these funds.

Applications were capped at $50,000 but organisations could apply for more than one project. We received applications for 139 projects from 51 organisations across Australia, totalling $3.8m. With the $1.7m available from this year’s campaign we’ve awarded funding to 75 projects.

Dry July CEO, Brett...

Custom CT Scanner Artwork

Nepean Cancer Care Centre used funds from Dry July 2015 to improve patient comfort in the clinic rooms, including installing custom artwork on a CT scanner.

Having tests during a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming and this artwork is intended to offer a less clinical environment for patients.

Programs at Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre

Dry July 2016 funding will support 3 programs at ONJCWRC:

- Making Meaning Through Music (music therapy groups for people with cancer and for carers).Funding will support 4 x 8 week sessions over a 12 month period, with 12 people in each session. Music therapy provides a safe way for people experiencing cancer to explore and express difficult emotions.

- Mindfulness Based Street Reduction for People Experiencing Cancer. Mindful meditation practices are run in a supportive small group environment by an experienced accredited teacher. Practices include body awareness, gentle movement and mind training.

- Horticultural Therapy Program. Horticultural therapy is a process of using plants and garden related activities to assist with achieving...

Continuing the Oncology Massage Program

Flinders Foundation will use Dry July 2016 funding to extend the Flinders Infusion Suite (FIS) in-chair Oncology Massage Program to run for the entire year of 2017.

The program currently operates two hours a day, five days per week.

Flinders Foundation started this program in 2013 within the Flinders Infusion Suite in the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC) and it has proven to be extremely popular with patients and staff. Since its inception there has been a growing evidence-base for the role of oncology massage for effectively managing physical and psychological symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment.

An experienced Oncology Massage Therapist attends the FCIC Infusion Suite to offer free 20 minute hand and foot...

7 East Patient Kitchen at The Alfred

The patient kitchen in ward 7 East at The Alfred was recently renovated using funds from Dry July 2015.

The upgrade included installation of a duel water filter tap which provides filtered cold water and boiling water from a unit above the sink; adding more storage; building a shelf for the ice machine; including a shelf for the microwave to free up bench space; and fitting out an area for bin storage. Patients spend a lot of time on the ward and these simple upgrades to the kitchen area will make the space a little more welcoming and usable - now more than one person can use the kitchen at the same time!

CoastCanCare Upcoming Programs

CoastCanCare is a supportive program for adults on the Central Coast living with cancer. The program's goal is to address the needs of patients and incorporates care domains in nutrition, psychosocial care, physical therapy, speech pathology, care coordination, and access to complementary therapies such as Music, Art Therapies. Dry July 2016 funds will continue to support CoastCanCare.

Currently scheduled programs include: 4 x 8 week Practical exercise classes, “Your Next Step to Wellness”; 3 x 6 week “Project Wellness” courses; 2 x “Staying Positive” workshops; and 2 x “Self-Care” workshops – facilitated by Quest for Life.

The program has recently released outcomes from its first 18 months, wherein it provided 250 hours of programs to...

Hand Massage Program

Arbonne Independent Consultant, Virginia Rogers, visits Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre each week to provide free hand massage to patients in the BRICC Chemotherapy Day Unit. Virginia has been providing the weekly service since January 2016, thanks to the generous support of a grant from the Dry July Foundation.

Information Lounge

In its previous form, the Information Lounge (formerly the Resource Room) at Canberra Region Cancer Centre was underutilised and confusing. Patients were not sure if the room was for their use, or for the staff. There was very little space to display information.

With funding from Dry July, the Information Lounge has been made accessible and useful, with the removal of a wall, refitting of display shelves and computer desks, and a bookcase. Since opening in March, there has been an enormous increase in the use of the room, and the amount of information being accessed by patients and carers. Having the information on display and with the room having been opened up, patients and carers are utilising the space, and are now able to self...