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Community Support for Women with Breast Cancer

Cancer Australia has awarded four new Ralph Lauren Pink Pony seeding grants to community organisations to support women with breast cancer in their local communities.

The Ralph Lauren Pink Pony seeding grants provide funding to support community-based organisations to improve access to quality information, support and services for women with breast cancer.

The 2016 recipients of the Ralph Lauren Pink Pony seeding grants are the Cancer Council New South Wales, Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, CanRevive Inc and Bloomhill Cancer Care.

The Cancer Council New South Wales project, Yarning about cancer: Supporting Indigenous Breast Cancer Peer Support Group Leaders develops and delivers culturally appropriate training for breast cancer peer support group leaders. Once trained, the leaders run peer support groups for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer in local communities across the state.

The Westmead Breast Cancer Institute program involves the delivery of a series of breast cancer education workshops to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers. The workshops will provide information and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer.

CanRevive Inc will use the seeding grant to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate “Healthy Eating and Breast Cancer” information booklet and audio resource for Chinese women affected by breast cancer. The booklet will be developed in partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia.  

Bloomhill Cancer Care is establishing Bloomhill Lymphoedema Information, Support and Services (BLISS) to expand lymphoedema information services and develop an online support group and blog  for women in  Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast.

Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Helen Zorbas, said a number of innovative applications for the seeding grants were received from a diverse range of community groups across Australia.

“The grants will help to address the specific needs of women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and women with lymphoedema following breast cancer treatment.

“Successful recipients are awarded grants on the basis of a competitive selection process and we are delighted by the strength and breadth of this year’s applicants,” she said.

The Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Campaign is an international initiative aiming to address the disparities in care for women with breast cancer. Cancer Australia administers the Australian arm of the initiative by managing an annual seeding grants program.

For more information visit Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Seeding Grants.

For all media enquiries, please contact:  Judy Goldman at Cancer Australia on (02) 9357 9401, 0438 209 833 or email judy.goldman @canceraustralia.gov.au