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Women ?On the Warpath? In Cancer Centre Campaign
By Eilish Martin, 3/22/2002 11:01:54 AM
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A group of women went ?on the warpath? as the Ulster Cancer Foundation launched its annual Daffodil Appeal... urging people to help maintain its services throughout the province.
The women, who are all cancer patients, are demanding that Health Minister Bairbre de Brun give the go-ahead for the new regional cancer centre at Belfast City Hospital.
To emphasise their point that building work on the centre must start soon, the campaigners wore hard hats and carried picks and shovels as they climbed on board a mechanical digger that had been brought to UCF headquarters at Eglantine Avenue in Belfast.
The women were joined by Arlene Spiers, UCF chief executive, Joyce Savage, head of appeals and marketing, and Dr Richard Wilson, consultant/senior lecturer in oncology at the Cancer Research Centre at Belfast City Hospital.
At the wheel of the digger was a man with a famous name... Sean Connery from Magherafelt, a testicular cancer survivor.
M/s Spiers said: ?The new centre is vital for cancer patients throughout the province. It is rumoured that it will not now be completed until 2005, but people can?t wait that long.
?They need an immediate assurance that building work will start long before that ? if not, lives will be at risk.
?Bairbre de Brun and the Finance Minister, Sean Farren, must get together urgently to announce funding for the centre.?
UCF campaigning for the centre will be stepped up during its Combat Cancer Month in March. The aim of the Daffodil Appeal during the month will be to raise funds to maintain the charity?s range of services in the province.
Ms Savage said the demand for such services had never been greater and that it now cost almost £2million a year to provide them, compared with £1.1 million five years ago.
She said: ?The people of Northern Ireland have always supported us and I am confident they will again show generosity during this appeal.?
There will be a flag day in Belfast on 6 March and the charity?s Combat Cancer groups have organised similar days in other areas. There will also be Daffodil collection boxes in shops throughout the province.
The UCF helps cancer patients and their families through a wide-ranging programme, including counselling, support and advice. There is also a freefone helpline (0800 783 33 39) and around £320,000 is spent every year on research and prevention.
A large part of the money raised during the appeal will help pay for the UCF nurse counselling scheme, which operates in every cancer unit throughout Northern Ireland.
?This means that wherever a cancer patient has treatment, one of our nurses will be there to support them and members of their family,? Ms Savage said
?We are proud to give help to all those who need it and our services are free, but we do, of course, need money to provide the services.?
Ends
For further information please contact Joyce Savage, UCF head of appeals and marketing, on 028 9066 3281
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