Donate 1300 781 500
[email protected]

Resource Centre
Level 8, 255 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Open 10am – 5pm Mon, Wed, Thurs
(closed public holidays)

Donate
1300 781 500
Skip to main content
[email protected]

Resource Centre
Level 8, 255 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Open 10am – 5pm Mon, Wed, Thurs
(closed public holidays)

Minister for Health David Davis and Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge take part in BreaCan’s 10th Anniversary celebrations

Minister for Health David Davis launched a new initiative to help women with breast cancer, as part of BreaCan’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.

Minister Davis, who was joined at the launch by Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge and Parliamentary Secretary for Health Georgie Crozier said the BreaCan Information Navigator app and website was a great new resource for women diagnosed with early breast cancer.

“Ensuring women have access to current, up-to-date and reliable information is very important,” Mr Davis said.

“And, with more and more people accessing information about their health online, we need to make sure that women have access to this information when and where they need it.

“The BreaCan Navigator is that conduit – an accessible, on-line tool to find relevant information on a range of support and other services for women with cancer.

“This tool, which was developed as part of a cancer survivorship project in partnership with the Royal Melbourne and Women’s Hospitals and Western Health, will facilitate access to a range of existing information on a range of topics.

“Importantly, the topics were chosen and prioritised by women.

“The navigator takes the uncertainty and strain out of searching the internet for quality information.”

BreaCan Manager Lee Kennedy said the navigator was a great, practical example of how to support women living with breast cancer through their cancer journey.

As part of the day’s celebrations, Minister Wooldridge accepted BreaCan’s 10th Anniversary Quilt.

“I am so pleased to be able to accept such a stunning quilt that not only looks beautiful but represents such a significant cause that means so much to so many,” Ms Wooldridge said.

BreaCan peer support volunteers, Chris Struck and Nikki Davis, women with a personal experience of cancer, have overseen the Quilt project, collecting and putting together almost 100 squares.

Women from all over Victoria, living with breast or a gynaecological cancer and supported by BreaCan contributed to the Quilt.

“This has been a true labour of love” said Chris, “the quilt powerfully shows how women feel about BreaCan and its role in their personal cancer journey.”

Nikki Davis said: “we were overwhelmed by donations, first of fabric and then of squares. Many came with heart felt stories of loss, or joyful stories of survival. The quilt has grown and grown as the squares came pouring in.”

BreaCan provides support through its unique peer support program, volunteers speak face-to-face or via phone with women who are newly diagnosed with cancer or needing support beyond treatment.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Georgie Crozier, acknowledges BreaCan’s Cancer Support Volunteers

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Georgie Crozier joined BreaCan and thousands of organisations around the nation to mark the 24th anniversary of National Volunteer Week in Australia. This year’s campaign theme “Thanks a Million” is all about celebrating the work of volunteers across the nation.

BreaCan hosted a morning tea to recognise the valuable contribution of its peer support and program support volunteers, some of whom have been volunteering for over 10 years. The BreaCan peer support volunteers share more than their time, they share their personal lived experience of breast or a gynaecological cancer. Without them the organisation would not be able to support women diagnosed with cancer to live well during and beyond their cancer treatment.

MLC for the Southern Metropolitan Region, Georgie Crozier was suitably impressed by the dedication of the volunteers, acknowledging in her speech “the tremendous contribution of all volunteers to this service. You all do such an amazing job to support women going through traumatic times with all the expertise you bring. Congratulations to you all.” Georgie then presented specially designed framed certificates to each of the 10 year volunteers. At the conclusion of the presentations, attendees mingled while reflecting on the 10 years in which BreaCan has made positive differences to the lives of Victorian women affected by cancer.

One long time peer support volunteer commented that “even after 10 years of volunteering at BreaCan I have never taken for granted what it feels like to be diagnosed with breast cancer and how it feels to help support the women I meet and talk to on the phone.”

Kellie Holland, BreaCan Volunteer Coordinator said: “It’s great to be a part of National Volunteer Week 2013.  It is a moment in time where all organisations like ours celebrate the exceptional and dedicated volunteers who give up their time and skills to help our organisation provide the services and support we do to people affected by breast, uterine, ovarian, cervical and other types of gynecological cancer.”

The State’s peak body for volunteering, Volunteering Victoria’s CEO, Sue Noble, commended BreaCan’s event to recognise the work of their volunteers: “There are more than 1.5 million volunteers in Victoria and six million nationally. We simply could not have the rich community life we do without them.”

BreaCan Celebrates 10 Years of support and information

A crowd celebrate and release party poppers as Minister for Health, the Hon. Bronwyn Pike, launches BreaCan in 2003.

The 2003 Launch of BreaCan

BreaCan is today marking 10 years since the first woman touched by cancer walked through our door seeking support.

Established in 2003 by Women’s Health Victoria, the Breast Cancer Action Group and a consortium of Women’s Health Services and funded by the State Government, this fledgling service grew out of the voices of women with breast cancer advocating for support outside of the hospital environment.

“Over the past 10 years BreaCan has provided access to information and support to thousands of Victorian women learning to live their ‘new normal’ after a cancer diagnosis” says Lee Kennedy, BreaCan Manager.

BreaCan provides, amongst other services, support through its unique volunteer peer support program, women diagnosed with breast or a gynaecological cancer speak face-to-face or via phone with a woman who is also living with cancer. Mary, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, has volunteered every month for the past 10 years at BreaCan and says, “Each day at BreaCan is as rewarding as the next, I never take for granted the ability of being able to make someone’s journey through breast cancer a little bit easier, a lot less frightening. It is a gift to be able to lighten someone’s load through sharing, understanding and empowering.”

“Better screening, increased personal awareness and better treatment outcomes means more and more women will be living with cancer. This makes community based services like ours, that focus on supporting women to live well, even more important over the next ten years” comments Lee.

Help us celebrate and support us into the next decade Make a Donation today.

New Factsheet For Women Living With Gynaecological Cancer in Victoria

BreaCan and Ovarian Cancer Australia are proud to have produced the first edition of a factsheet for women living with gynaecological cancer in Victoria. It has been produced as part of a collaborative project between BreaCan and Ovarian Cancer Australia during 2012, funded by the Victorian Department of Health, that looked at information and support needs and preferences for women living with gynaecological cancer.

The content of the factsheet was developed through a consultation process with women living with a gynaecological cancer who identified services and supports that they would have found helpful at the time of their diagnosis or treatment. Many women expressed a preference for having the information in a concise format and being able to access services at a time of their choosing.

The factsheet provides an overview of a comprehensive range of community based supports available in Victoria. The electronic version has active hyperlinks to the various support organisations and services.

The factsheet can be downloaded from our publications page.

Counterpart is a service of
Our other services and initiatives