Funds raised from Dry July 2019 will go towards a Wellness Program at Bendigo Health's Cancer Centre.

The new Wellness Program will incorporate oncology massage, cancer rehabilitation, yoga, meditation, music and pet therapy and, importantly, a coordinator to connect our patients to the services that best meets their physical and emotional needs.

More than a quarter of a million people in central Victoria rely on Bendigo Health when they need specialist treatment and care. Developing a Wellness Program will bring the Cancer Centre in line with other regional and metropolitan Cancer Centres and provide our patients with access to programs that will promote peer support and reduce some of the burden of the disease.

A Wellness Program provides evidenced based benefits which are provided in the safety of the cancer centre and knowledge of the treating clinicians. The cancer centre recently conducted a survey of our patients to better understand their preference for wellness programs.

The patients of the Bendigo Cancer Centre identified oncology massage, exercise and meditation as the top therapies that they would recommend to those diagnosed with cancer.