Funds boost for cancer care unit

Cancer Care Western NSW received two donations - one from Narromine AGnVET Services and the other from GrainCorp - bringing the total funds raised for the second stage of their build of the Western Care Lodge a step closer to the $1.4 million target.

With an increase in radiotherapy services on the way, Cancer Care Western is hoping to commence construction of stage two of Western Care Lodge in Orange by the end of April or early May.

The stage two building will include eight ensuite rooms and a laundry.

The Western Care Lodge is located on the Bloomfield campus of Orange Health Service, 200 metres from the hospital and next door to a golf club and a coffee lounge.

The cost of stage two will be $1.4 million with $760,000 raised (including committed funds) and the total cost of building the complete Western Care Lodge will be $5.5 million with $3.7 million coming from public fundraising. 

The Dubbo community has raised about $150,000 with more donations still coming in.

The Narromine community has also contributed more than $120,000.

Fundraising chairwoman and regional co-ordinator of Cancer Care Western NSW Jan Savage said she had tried various leads with government grants.

"There's no federal or state funding available at the moment. It's not through lack of trying or pushing," said Ms Savage.

"The thing is after we actually start the build we can't attain a state or federal grant for capital works.

"It has to be in place prior to capital works.''

Ms Savage said Cancer Care West had approached a bank and Orange City Council for funding.

"So if we haven't got the funds at the time when we need them we can get a loan, but we still have to pay the loan back."

Ms Savage said the donation provided by Narromine AGnVet Services would go towards the blankets in the stage two building.

AGnVET Services customer services manager Craig McDonald said the donation came from their Big Bucks Bonanza night.

"We had a swag that was donated and we decided to auction it," said Mr McDonald.

"We all decided in the office the best charity to hand it over to was Cancer Care West. 

"The swag was auctioned on the night and the swag went for $800.

"We were very pleased about that.

"A local farmer bought it and was very happy with where the money was going."

After receiving the donation from GrainCorp, Ms Savage said she found it very hard to go out to rural communities and ask for income.

"I know how the need is so strong in so many areas in the communities,'' she said.

"When we get somebody like GrainCorp who actually comes on board and commits it makes my job a lot easier.

"It's a reflection on the fact that GrainCorp themselves actually have that community commitment regionally."

GrainCorp Human Resource Partner Damien Pfeiffer said although Orange was not a grain-growing area the facility would service individuals from grain growing areas in rural locations.

"Grain Corp is known for the vertical silos and the big blue tarps along the sides of the road and a lot of the people who need the facility in Orange are coming from those communities.

"One of our core values is being apart of the community and this is just another step in that direction.

"We can be seen as not only those people who take grain once a year and have harvest jobs, we're actually putting back into the community and helping those that are in times of need to make things more comfortable for them." 

Mr Pfeiffer said everyone has been or knows someone or in some way shape or form has been affected by cancer in some degree 

"My younger brother who had hodgkin's lymphoma in Qld had the full support of a similar type of organisation, the leukemia foundation," said Mr Pfieffer.

"With facilities where the family are able to go and stay in comfort and be assured everything is going to be done right by them they can go and receive their treatment and come back and that's what I believe is great behind the cancer care western lodge."