We’re thrilled to announce the recipients of Dry July Foundation funding from the 2022 October Grant Round.

With $3.266,000 available, we have been able to fund projects across 49 organisations. These projects and programs benefit cancer patients, their families and carers; aiming to make a difficult time, a little easier for those affected by cancer.

Here are some of the successful applicants and the projects they will be delivering. Keep your eye on this post as more appear…

Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC)

• Ultrasound Vascular Access Device - Purchase of a new vascular access    system to help health care professionals visualise vessels, needle trajectory    and final needle tip location significantly reducing the impact on cancer    patients.

Barwon Health’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre, Geelong

• Transport to treatment - This grant will support the recommencement of the volunteer transport program, an integral part of patient care that was suspended during COVID-19.

Bendigo Health

• Journaling workshops and Legacy Letters pilot project - This grant will support the expansion of wellness activities provided by the Bendigo Heath Gobbé Wellness Centre. Legacy writing is a beneficial way to help patients make sense of the impact of a cancer diagnosis and provide a valuable keepsake for family and friends.

Bowel Cancer Australia

• Ballarat Integrated Bowel Care Nurse - Bowel Cancer Australia is currently supporting the piloting of Bowel Care Nurses in regional centres throughout Australia. Dedicated Bowel Care Nurses have been helping to improve bowel cancer outcomes by enabling patients to take a more active role in their bowel care treatment. These funds will continue to support a Bowel Care Nurse in Ballarat, Victoria.

Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle

• Oncology Equipment Loan Pool - The Occupational Therapy Department offers access to over 970 daily living, pressure care and comfort equipment to all patients receiving Oncology or Haematology treatment at Calvary Mater Newcastle. Specialised equipment items aim to maximise a patient’s independence and safety, reduce the impact of symptoms and enable patients to remain at home for as long as possible. Funds will go towards maintaining, updating and replacing equipment to ensure this high-quality service continues.

Camden & Campbelltown Hospitals

• Integrated Oncology Programs - Funds will support programs such as oncology massage, acupuncture and meditation that can help patients through their treatment regime by alleviating side effects and improving outcomes.

Cancer Council

• Integrated Oncology Programs - funds continue to support the 13 11 20 Information and Support Line providing a comprehensive service that is free and confidential to support cancer patients, as well as family members, carers or friends that are impacted by a cancer diagnosis. 13 11 20 is pivotal in initiating timely and effective referrals to Cancer Council programs and other external cancer support services, which assist to improve quality of life and reduce the impact of a cancer diagnosis.

Canteen

• Education Career Support Resources - grant funds will enable Canteen to purchase career resources to be used as part of their Education and Career Support Service (ECS) helping young cancer patients stay connected to study or work, both during and after their cancer treatment.

Central Coast LHD - CoastCanCare

• The CoastCanCare Wellness Program - provides direct contact and support to participants with evidence-based therapies and programs, linking them with local services and supports and providing practical support to patients, carers and family members. Funding will enable CoastCanCare to continue offering free wellbeing and recovery programs for such as meditation, art therapy, weaving, journaling, yoga, tai chi, “Living Well” workshops and physiotherapy classes.

Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation

• Transport Program - his grant will support HBCF’s Cancer Transport Program offering safe, professional, and reliable transport for breast, ovarian and melanoma patients across the Hunter region.

Leukaemia Foundation

• Blood Cancer Support Coordinators (BCSCs) - Leukaemia Foundation’s highly-trained Blood Cancer Support Coordinators offer emotional support to patients and their loved ones alongside a range of health and wellbeing services. Whether it’s a friendly face or voice to turn to for someone newly diagnosed, information about treatment and side effects or counselling for those who have lost a loved one, BCSCs work with each family to understand the support required and provide connection to the services that will help meet their needs and ease the stress of everyday life, so that people living with blood cancer can focus on their treatment.

Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre

• Integrated Oncology Programs Manager - continuation of their complementary integrative therapies, including oncology massage, acupuncture and yoga provide ongoing support to patients from diagnosis to survivorship.

Mater Cancer Care Centre, Brisbane

• Women's Wellness after Cancer Program (WWACP) - The Women’s Wellness after Cancer Program (WWACP) aims to improve the quality of life and reduce treatment related chronic disease risks in women following cancer treatment. Funds for WWACP will provide continued access to targeted lifestyle management initiatives, with key components including exercise, good nutrition, sleep, hygiene, stress management and psychosocial support. With e-Health capability built into the design of the program, WWACP can be delivered to rural, regional and metropolitan areas.

McGrath Foundation

• McGrath Breast Care Nurses - support families via face-to-face and outreach methods providing a range of key interventions; invaluable clinical, psychological and emotional support, and acting as patient advocates among the various healthcare teams. The project’s objective is to ensure patients, families and the local community receive the best care and support, for free, to optimise their health and well-being.

Mummy’s Wish

• Mums Support Coordinators - Coordinators provide relevant, tailored and practical ways to ease the burden of managing family life through cancer treatment. Support provided includes care packages, referrals to other support agencies, connection to support groups, Mummy’s Wish online community and counselling services.

Nepean Cancer Care Centre

• Patient equipment - funds will be used to purchase valuable patient equipment such as a weighing chair, vein finder, pulse oximeters, digital BP machines and weightheight scales allowing patients to have an improved exerience through less invasive care.

Northern Health

• Palliative Care Garden - funds will enable the garden to be renovated to provide a space that is calming, attractive, safe and can be used all year round. A place where families can spend quality time with their loved ones, creating lasting memories. The gardens have been designed to cater for diverse patient and family needs and allow for everything from sitting quietly to family gatherings and other events.

Ovarian Cancer Australia

• Psychosocial Support Program - Psychosocial support helps to address the many issues women with ovarian cancer experience in addition to their clinical needs, including anxiety and depression, sexuality and body image issues and financial toxicity. For example, the Exercise and Nutrition Program provides personalised and ovarian cancer-specific education around exercise and nutrition in order to improve the physical and emotional wellbeing and quality of life for people with ovarian cancer, during and after treatment.

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

• Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses (PCSNs) - play an important role in supporting men who have been impacted by prostate cancer, including clinical care of newly diagnosed patients and survivors who may be many years on from their initial treatment while still experiencing the side effects and symptoms of their disease and its treatment. PCSNs coordinate care across the survivorship continuum, ensuring optimal quality of life and clinical outcomes. PCSNs are integral to the delivery of comprehensive multidisciplinary care and also play an important role in promoting prostate cancer awareness for overall public benefit.

The Alfred, Melbourne

• Music Therapy Program - Funds will support the continuation of the music therapy program for patients diagnosed with cancer, including those who are receiving palliative care. Feedback on this program has been extremely positive with reported benefits including reduced symptom burden and increased wellbeing. Music therapy provides a safe way for people experiencing cancer to explore and express these difficult emotions.

The Wesley Hospital Choices Cancer Support Centre

• Art and Writing Therapies - Provide a safe place for people experiencing cancer to engage and meet other fellow cancer survivors. Art involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, colouring or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art. Evidence-based studies has shown these therapies provide numerous benefits including enhancing positive mental mood, reducing loneliness, managing stress, promoting wellbeing and addressing grief and loss.

Westmead - Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre

• MRI Sky Ceiling - grant funding will enable the installation of an MRI Sky Ceiling in Radiation Oncology. Sky ceilings improve patient wellbeing during radiation treatment with research indicating natural imagery supports patient relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety during treatment.

Thank you, Dry Julyers!