Cancer Council NT eNews - September 2016

CEO report

Hello, welcome to Cancer Council NT e-news.  This edition is full of great information - please forward it on to others that are interested in our work in the Northern Territory.

It has been an exciting and rewarding time for Cancer Council NT, and this edition highlights some of the work we have been doing over the past few months. Thank you to the hard working staff, volunteers and collaborators that enable us to do so much in the Territory.  A cancer diagnosis creates many challenges for an individual and their family.  Cancer Council NT aims to work with people throughout their journey, providing professional support and evidence based information, as well as practical help, such as financial support or gardening assistance through our Army Volunteer Program.  Behind the scenes we continue to advocate for more equitable cancer services for Territorians.

Understanding the needs of our clients is critical for our planning and resource allocation.  Although every person’s needs are unique, we are able to broadly group them into five main areas. To see how many contacts we had in each area of service for the last financial year click here.

This data highlights the high level of practical and emotional support people are seeking in relation to their cancer experience. Contact with our support staff may occur at any time throughout a person’s journey, whether it’s at the time of diagnosis, during treatment or even once treatment is completed and support is required for an individual to get their life back on track. A carer or family member may also contact us at any time for information or support. More people are reaching our information either through our website or our South Australian based nurse telephone support service – 13 11 20.

Cancer Council NT now has three offices – Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine. A focus for our Alice Springs and Katherine offices is to work within the community and to network with other service providers, in order to facilitate people impacted by cancer to access these services as needed. To view information on the number of client contacts for each office in the last financial year click here.

In addition to the contacts listed in the table, Cancer Council NT also provides monthly stoma supplies to 210 Territorians, many of which are mailed out throughout the Territory.  

It's challenging work, but together – the wonderful Cancer Council staff, our voluntary Board, our thoughtful volunteers and our generous donors – I know we are making a difference.  I thank all of you for that.

Kind regards,

Kathy Sadler
CEO, Cancer Council NT