Media release, 03 July 2019: Can Assist welcomes a new partnership with greenslips.com.au and together they encourage rural and remote cancer patients to reach out to their local Finley branch and ask for help.
A cancer diagnosis in rural or remote NSW can bring the additional burden of travelling long distances to treatment. Through a new partnership with greenslips.com.au, Can Assist will ease that burden by supporting local Finley cancer patients to keep their car on the road when they need it most.
Finley has received funding from greenslips.com.au to help pay for CTP green slip insurance for cancer patients in need and who rely on their car to get to treatment. With specialist cancer care 110km away in Shepperton, 145km in Albury, 200kms in Wagga Wagga or further afield in Melbourne requiring a 4.30am bus departure, keeping your car on the road is paramount for both access and independence.
Finley Can Assist volunteer Suellyn Staff explained, “When first referred to Can Assist, people are shy and don’t want to be a burden. No one is ever a burden. We’re local volunteers here to help Finley. And greenslips.com.au is also here to help Finley. Everyone’s privacy is respected and details of assistance kept confidential within a small group of Can Assist volunteers. Don’t be shy, we want to help.
“Since the greenslip.com.au donation we have supported two locals with their green slip insurance, and have two more in process. These patients need to go to Melbourne for treatment, and maintaining their independence and mobility means a lot. The privacy of your own car before and after treatment feels a bit like home. For the long distance and hours on the road, it makes all the difference.”
Can Assist provides practical and financial support in the form of accommodation, petrol, insurance, medication, rates and food and is currently supporting patients of all ages from 19 to 74.
“It’s not just the financial support. Can Assist might pop in and visit you in hospital or at home. We’ve changed people’s sheets to welcome them home from hospital. It’s the little things that make a huge difference, it’s about what the individual specifically needs,” said Finely Branch President, Pat Radford.
Can Assist also holds cancer information nights in the local community, bringing doctors and professors from Melbourne to help raise awareness.
“The more awareness people have, the easier it is to deal with a diagnosis. At the time you feel you’re the only person in the world. We want people to feel supported before, during and after their cancer journey”, said Radford.
Can Assist is a community based volunteer network, funded entirely by local donations and corporate sponsorships, with all money raised locally staying local.
If you or someone you know in the local community has cancer, Can Assist invites you to seek their support.
For more information on how to support Can Assist visit www.canassist.org.au.
For direct contact with the Finley branch please call 0499 923 134.
Media contact
Sophie Bartho, sophie@brandswell.com Mobile: 0411 191 141
Interviews and photo opportunities available with Pat Radford and Suellyn Staff, Can Assist Finley.
About Can Assist
Can Assist is committed to ensuring that all people, regardless of where they live in NSW, have access to cancer treatment and care. By providing accommodation, financial assistance and practical support to people from rural and regional areas, it ensures country people are given the same opportunities and treatment choices as those who live in city centres.
canasssist.org.au
Can Assist Facts
- Established in 1955, Can Assist is funded entirely by local donations and corporate sponsorships. In 2018 it assisted 7,300 rural and regional cancer patients through 55 branches across NSW.
- Cancer is expensive, and people in rural and remote communities can suffer reduced income and increased expenses as a result of a cancer diagnosis. Their position is often exacerbated because treatment may require relocation from home and family support.
- Can Assist is a grass roots, community-based volunteer network. It is local volunteers supporting local families affected by cancer.
- All the money raised locally stays local.
- greenslips.com.au is a new partner of Can Assist. Greenslips.com.au is a price comparison and information service for CTP green slip insurance. It does not sell CTP green slip insurance.
- greenslip.com.au has supported Can Assist branches in Orange and Finley, with commitments to give further support across NSW.
your opinion matters: