Wai Yin Society has been awarded a £139,500 CARE grant from Macmillan Cancer Support to help deliver lasting improvements to local cancer care and support services.
Macmillan CARE grants are a new initiative by the national cancer charity, as they work to make cancer care better and fairer for everyone, no matter who they are or where they live.
The charity warns that the number of people living with cancer is on the rise, with as many as 5.4 million people expected to be living with cancer in the UK by 2045 – a 58 per cent rise on where we are today
At the same time there is growing concern over how the UK cancer care system is not just struggling to cope, but also leaving people behind because of who they are, where they live, what they earn or how they communicate.
Wai Yin Society is one of 65 community organisations chosen from across the UK to help improve care and support for people living with cancer today, while also contributing to wider and long-lasting improvements in UK cancer care for the future.
The Bridging Cultures: Connecting Culture Training and cancer Care project will be funded for 2 years to deliver a cultural awareness programme designed to improve cancer care for Chinese and other ethnically diverse communities by equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide culturally sensitive support. Macmillan says the need for such community-led action is clear, with more than 1.7 million people across the UK – at least half of all people currently living with cancer – struggling with the impact of their cancer diagnosis on their day-to-day lives, with support often being hard to find or too far away.
Previous research by the charity has also shown that two in three people with cancer who are struggling with ‘everyday’ needs (66%) urgently need more support to help them cope.
Macmillan CARE grants are being awarded to projects that can offer support and care where it is needed the most, and which are targeted at three main areas. This includes improving services for people with cancer and dementia, making sure people are offered a fuller say in decisions about their care, and improving support for those who all too often have poorer outcomes, such as people from ethnically diverse communities, people who are LGBTQ+, those with a disability or those living in the UK’s most economically vulnerable areas.
A Wai Yin Society service user said:
“When I suddenly discovered this disease, I felt so strange. Fortunately, I had access to support. I think I’m in good health now.”
Circle Steele, CEO of Wai Yin Society said:
“We are so grateful to receive this vital Macmillan Cancer Care grant to help improve cancer care and support services for people affected by cancer.”
Heather McLean, Director of Communities & System Partnerships for Macmillan Cancer Support said:
“Cancer isn’t fair, but at Macmillan, we believe cancer care and support should be.
“Real change in cancer care starts with those who know the challenges they face the best, and that is communities themselves. That is why every local project we are supporting has been shaped by the views of people living with cancer and their loved ones.
“We are so excited to be working with Wai Yin Society, and community organisations right across the UK, to address some of the gaps we know exist, to deliver lasting change in local cancer care and to help make things just that little bit better for everyone affected by cancer. Together, we want to help make sure that people with cancer can get the personalised support they need, whoever and wherever they are.”
Together, we must learn to do better for everyone struggling with the impact of cancer!