This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to an organisation making a difference in cancer patients’ lives, giving them a comfortable and safe space to go after treatment, when they’re unwell, or just need that extra level of care for a short time.
The Singleton Cancer Appeal was formed about 45 years ago to provide support to those affected by cancer in the local area, including maintaining what were called pink rooms in the Dangar Ward at Singleton Hospital.
President Kay Sullivan has been involved with the Appeal for 38 years and said it’s very rewarding to be able to assist those in the community who are going through possibly the most difficult time in their lives.
“It is very, very rewarding to be able to do this for our local people.
“We’re very grateful for all of the donations we get and for the local community who support us and our work.”
The pink rooms are now called special care rooms at Singleton Hospital and it’s the Appeal’s job to maintain them.
“No treatment is done at Singleton Hospital, it’s more where they can be cared for when they’ve gone through treatment, or they need that extra level of care after becoming unwell after treatment or need that extra assistance that their family can’t provide.
“All of the rooms have their own enclosed courtyard off the back of them and bathrooms. Two of the rooms are quite large with a kitchenette equipped with appliances and everything they need and are big enough for families to come and stay in.
“The two smaller rooms are well equipped; they are more for just one patient and people can come and go visiting them.
“It’s our responsibility to fit out the rooms and keep up the ongoing maintenance that they need. We try and keep them of a very high standard because the people who use them need the rooms to be clean, comfortable environments. Not only for the person who is going through cancer, but for the families who come and visit as well.
“We refurbished them a couple of years ago. Glencore Coal were very generous and gave us a $150,000 grant for that refurbishment. The grant went a long way.
“The benefits are that they are comfortable, they are there for anyone who is suffering from cancer, it’s at no cost to them, the benefits are huge – they have privacy too.
“They are always utilised, always being used by someone who needs that extra level of care.
“We received some great news recently, signing off on two additional special care rooms that we will maintain at the hospital. Work will start in those two rooms very soon.
“The other thing we do is that we help out families in the 2330 area code who have a family member with cancer, we can assist with ongoing expenses related to their disease and that sort of thing.”
To be able to do everything the Appeal does in the community they have to raise the funds themselves which became a whole lot easier when they took over a local charity shop.
“Gary Holland opened Dolly’s Charity Shop to raise money for children off the street. But in May 2022, he handed it over to us. He gifted us the shop, he signed it over to the Singleton Cancer Appeal so the money made from the shop could go directly to maintaining the special care rooms and everything else we do.
“Before Dolly’s we would hold fundraisers to get the money, we needed which was a lot of work, so having the shop means we have the constant income,” said Kay.
| If you are interested in becoming involved with Singleton Cancer Appeal, they meet on the second Tuesday of the month at Kay’s home. Anyone wanting more information can call Kay on 0417 424 482 or call into Dolly’s. |
