Cancer Council NT eNews - December 2016

CEO report

Welcome to our last e-news for 2016. Cancer Council Northern Territory continues to be the only all cancer charity in the Northern Territory and the only charity that has qualified cancer nurses available free of charge five days a week. Our Cancer Information Officers based in Katherine and Alice are available to provide face to face support to local community members, while people from all over the Territory can contact our Darwin office for assistance and support.

This year we have focused on key aspects in the areas of cancer prevention and cancer support that are most relevant to the Territory. Cancer Council NT continues to work with and within the community to inform and remind people of the cancer risks associated with UV exposure. Our SunSmart program now has 43 Schools and 63 Early Learning Centres as members, and we are working with new schools so they can meet their mandatory requirement to have a Sun Smart policy implemented. The evidence is clear that excessive sun exposure in the early years of life will result in skin damage, which may lead to skin cancer as a person ages. We have put our cancer prevention messages out into the community at events, expos and through the media. These health promotion messages offer workable solutions for individuals and businesses to minimise their skin cancer risk.

Another critical area of advocacy is our continued support of smoking cessation and tobacco control initiatives. Territorian smoking rates remain the highest in the country. The impact this has on individuals and families is evident in NT statistics relating to the incidences of smoking related cancers, including cancers of the lung, throat, head and neck. These statistics highlight the need to educate young people on the importance of not becoming addicted to cigarettes. We will continue to actively promote this message to young people and those who are responsible for making decisions in the interests of the community.

Cancer Council NT continues to focus its resources towards providing free practice advice and support to people impacted by a cancer diagnosis. This year we have met thousands of requests for support through our three offices. These contacts seek support through advice on diagnoses, explanations of pathology tests, information on treatments, provision of legal and financial support, assistance with travel, wellness coaching, forums, workshops, and to facilitate linking in with other service providers. We are open to all and if we are unable to meet a person’s needs we will find someone that can.

Cancer Council NT prides itself on being a charitable organisation that is primarily funded by community donations, including money raised at our events. We thank all our donors and financial supporters for their generosity towards fellow Territorians and look forward to being of service again in 2017.

I thank all my staff and volunteers for their support, encouragement and hard work over the year and wish them and all of you a safe and enjoyable Christmas, and I look forward to sharing 2017 with you.

Kind regards,
Kathy Sadler
CEO, Cancer Council NT