Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC)

Thanks to the support of Dry July and our generous community, the Cancer Wellness Centre at Grampians Health in Ballarat has continued to provide education and support for hundreds of cancer patients and their families in 2025.

The Wellness Centre hosts 28 different programs, all free of charge, to all cancer pateints in the region, to ensure there are no barriers to participation. Programs include educational programs, one-on-one sessions and peer support groups.

For 2025, we were able to provide the following:

• Support groups: Young person support group, Prostate Support Group, Bowel Cancer Support Group, Brain Cancer Support Group, Blokes and a BBQ, Cancer Chicks Cuppa and chat, Carers Support Group, Crochet Group, Meditation, Sexuality and Intimacy information sessions, Tai Chi, Walking Group, Coping with Cancer, Look Good, Feel Better

• Yoga Services (48 sessions p.a.)

• Acupuncture (384 appointments p.a.)

• Art therapy (48 sessions p.a.)

• Bra fittings (84 sessions p.a.)

• Therapy dogs (96 sessions p.a.)

• Financial Advice (36 sessions p.a.)

• Oncology Massage (816 appointments p.a.)

• Shiatsu (336 appointments)

• Wig Library.

Just as importantly, we provide a home-like setting away from the busy clinical areas of the hospital. It is a place to rest and be supported by our wonderful Wellness Centre Manager, Simone, our volunteers, and the peer support of others also on a cancer journey.

Demand for Wellness Centre Services is strong. In the past year, 343 new patients registered at the Wellness Centre (increased demand from last year). An average of 80-people use the Centre every week, in the seven weeks we have been open this year, we have had 560 people use the Centre.

Main cancer types are (in order): breast, prostate, bowel, lung, blood, brain, and head and neck.

Additional funding from Dry July has helped us purchase treatment chairs in the Chemotherapy Day Unit, supporting patient care and treatment.

Living Well Through Cancer, with Support from the Cancer Wellness Centre

Chris is 70 and is an avid horse rider. Since his diagnosis with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma six years ago, he’s continued to find solace on his rides and through the company and services of the Wellness Centre.

Chris’s cancer journey began long before his diagnosis in February 2020. “I’d been going to doctors for five years saying, there’s something wrong with my guts,” he says. Despite repeated tests, nothing was found — until a new GP ordered further investigations. “He said, didn’t you bring someone with you? And that’s when I knew something serious was going on.”

By the time the cancer was identified, it was extensive, affecting Chris’s lymphatic system and wrapping around major organs. He began treatment immediately, starting with an experimental clinical trial. “They said because of my age and my fitness, they could offer me a trial,” Chris recalls. “I said, yeah, no worries — even if it doesn’t help me, it will be able to help someone else.”

Over the following years, Chris experienced multiple recurrences, scans, biopsies, chemotherapy, and further clinical trials. In early 2025, he received a confronting phone call. “They rang me and said I had really aggressive cancer. They planned to harvest my stem cells and bone marrow, and give me very strong chemotherapy,” he says. “Even though they said I couldn’t do any more rides, I snuck another one in.” Following some short -term treatment, by the time Chris returned to start another clinical trial, the cancer was gone. This incredible pattern of cancer recurrence, treatment and being diagnosed cancer free has happened three times. This has made Chris understandably sceptical, but he remains on track with his scans and is a constant presence at the Wellness Centre.

Throughout this long and uncertain journey, the Cancer Wellness Centre became a vital part of how Chris coped — not just physically, but emotionally and socially. “I didn’t come during COVID because everything was shut,” he says, “but once I could, I started coming in and it just felt good to be here.”

Chris regularly uses the centre for Tai Chi, massage, acupuncture and other wellness therapies. “It’s not stressful. It’s just good,” he says. The sense of connection has been just as important as the therapies themselves. “I like the company — there’s always people around. I enjoy entertaining people and cheering them up.”

Understanding how financially draining a cancer diagnosis can be for some people, Chris values the accessibility of the service. “It has cost me absolutely nothing,” he says. “That still blows me away.” Now feeling well and active, he sees the centre as a way to give back, around his regular horse-rides. “I’m just trying to put something back in,” Chris explains. Whether through attending programs, supporting fundraisers, or simply showing up with a calm, reassuring presence, Chris believes the Cancer Wellness Centre plays a crucial role in helping people live well during and beyond cancer.

Thanks to the support of Dry July participants, Dry July 2025 funds will support cancer patients in Ballarat with holistic care and treatment.

"Our Cancer Wellness Centre is a fundamental part of our patients' cancer journey at BRICC. Every service we provide — from emotional wellbeing to physical recovery — is only possible because of community generosity.

Since our inception, Dry July has been our most important fundraising partner, with nearly a half of our operating costs covered by Dry July.

Every week, we receive grateful messages from our patients for providing an oasis of calm and support during stressful times. On behalf of these patients, we cannot say thank you strongly enough to Dry July and the wonderful participants who support us."

 - Simone Noelker, Manager of Cancer Wellness Centre

The Wellness Centre at the Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC) receives no government funding and is reliant upon donations from the community to continue. Your efforts will allow BRICC to continue to provide the services and environment cancer patients in the Grampians region have come to rely on over the last 15 years.

Peter is an outgoing Englishman, instantly recognisable with his bright clothing and distinctive glasses. Although he has lived in Australia with his wife, two children and daughter in law since 1987, it was a five-day road trip in 2017 that changed his life. Driving through Ballarat, his wife found a 22-acre property that had just been listed. They moved to Ballarat, and in Peter’s eyes “never looked back”.

However, in late 2019, Peter’s new life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic colon cancer, which had spread to his liver and lungs. Prior to starting chemotherapy, Peter needed an ileostomy, which ultimately resulted in a permanent colostomy bag. What was scheduled to be a three-day hospital stay terrifyingly ballooned out to a 41-day stay, including 10 days in an induced coma. Peter had an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.

Peter was still recovering to prepare for his chemotherapy, when a problem with his kidneys meant he began to lose blood, and his recovery was further delayed with more surgery. As he was finally preparing to be discharged, he contracted Covid-19. It was in the early days of 2020 – Peter was placed into another induced coma to protect him from this new, unknown virus.

Peter eventually received his first dose of chemotherapy in late 2020, but he did not discover the BRICC Wellness Centre until 2023. Peter explains what the Wellness Centre means to him.

“I had walked past the Wellness Centre so many times, but I never once came in. It was only that one afternoon while I was waiting for my daughter to pick me up, that one of the oncology nurses told me I could wait in the Wellness Centre.”

“Using the Wellness Centre was made so easy by the volunteers. They showed me around and told me there was a bowel cancer support group the following afternoon, which I went to.”

“When I went home and told my wife, it was such a comfort for her to know I had found a support group and was connecting with other people battling as hard as me. These people are with you and get it! I've made friends from all walks of life and learnt new skills. The massage is good too!”

The staff and volunteers at the Wellness Centre are fundamental to providing holistic care for BRICC patients.

“The Wellness Centre is such a godsend. The volunteers go to the nth degree to help you and nothing's too much for them. And they are always keeping an eye out for you, they are always updating you with what you can and can't do and everything like that.”

“Everyone who comes through the door are never left on their own.”

“I can’t believe I’d walked past it for two years.”

Peter has attended many of the group classes offered by the Wellness Centre, including bag buddies support group, colorectal cancer group, art therapy, shiatsu and oncology massage.

While these groups offer a lot of practical support, Peter explains their real value.

“We just come and talk - most of the time we don’t talk about details but having the shared experience is important. And now that we have a specialised Group Room, I can see that people are opening up even more. It’s been good for all of us.”

But just like the first day Peter used the Wellness Centre, the value of the centre extends well beyond his experience.

“When I go home and I tell my wife what I’ve done and what we’ve spoken about, I think it helps her and the family to know that they are not the only people who are caring for me and giving me support. The cancer journey is hard with many humps and hurdles so you rely on your family and friends, but to be able to come in into the Wellness Centre and talk to people, is such an important thing for all of us.”

2024 was another successful Dry July Campaign for BRICC and the Wellness Centre. We raised over $48,000 for our centre, far exceeding our target of $40,000. We would like to thank our incredible fundraisers, particularly Kelli Aggett and her Wellness Warriors who host the now much anticipated Wellness Ball in June each year.

Of the $48,873 raised, this amount was equally split between the Wellness Centre and BRICC.

The funds raised by Dry July for the Wellness Centre are integral to continuing our services. In the past year, 327 new patients registered at the Wellness Centre, with 52% choosing more than one supportive care program. An average of 280-300 people use the Centre every month. Dry July funds are integral to keeping all of our programs free of charge.

In the last year Dry July has helped fund:

• Over 3000 appointments at our Wellness Centre, across 21 programs

• Support groups provide essential peer and facilitator support for several specific cancers and demographic groups including Bowel Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Young people’s support and carer support.

• Our walking group, smoking cessation, yoga, Fatigue relief and Wellness education all encourage our patients to be empowered in their cancer care

• Our Wig Library, Bra and Breast form fittings and the Look Good Feel Better program have all proven to be exceptionally beneficial for our female patients.

The funds raised by Dry July that were used by BRICC went to a long-awaited upgrade of our treatment chairs in the Chemotherapy Day Unit (CDU). This project to replace the chairs started in 2023, and 2024 funds will allow us to purchase an additional 4 chairs. We hope to raise enough money in 2025 to finalise this project, and purchase 5 more chairs. Without Dry July’s support, we do not have the budget to replace these chairs, which are in constant use in the CDU. The Centre currently treats approximately 300 public patients over ~3800 episodes of treatment. (in addition to 400 private patients across Grampians Health, over ~5000 episodes of treatment).