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Evora Hospice in Newry was one of sixteen cancer charities across the north set to share funding from a new Cancer Charities Grant Scheme.
The scheme, jointly funded by the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Support, is designed to help charities, voluntary and community sector organisations deliver cancer support services across local communities in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt made the announcement during his visit last week to Evora Hospice. The Minister highlighted how the scheme had been developed through a co-design process, working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition.
Minister Nesbitt said the services provided by local charities are invaluable. "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."
The Minister added that a central aim of the scheme is moving care closer to people's homes. "By empowering charities to deliver earlier, more localised support, we can help people stay well for longer and reduce avoidable pressure on hospital services."
Of his Newry visit, Minister Nesbitt said: "During my visit to the Evora Hospice, I have seen first-hand the powerful potential of community action when it comes to delivering outstanding cancer support. It is clear local charities are at the heart of it, playing an essential role alongside HSC staff and patients' friends and families. 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."
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, also welcomed the announcement. "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."
The funding will support a range of services including mental health support, rehabilitation and prehabilitation, transport services, awareness and education initiatives, and programmes addressing health inequalities.
