What Started in 2020 with Only Six Charities, Cancern North Now Connect 140 Charities to Support Cancer Patients
Future strategies for cancer care come to Newcastle Expo
Cancern North, a dynamic networking umbrella group for cancer charities in the North East and North Cumbria, is set to host a ground-breaking Expo on October 4th in Newcastle. The event aims to foster collaboration among more than 140 charities dedicated to supporting individuals affected by cancer. It offers a unique platform to shape the future of cancer care and treatment by enhancing partnerships between charitable organisations, the voluntary sector, and the NHS.
Cancern’s primary objective is to connect charities, enabling them to understand each other’s offerings, build trust, and explore potential collaborations in the future. These collaborations could focus on specific areas of support for the community.
The Expo also serves to highlight the value that charities bring to healthcare services, particularly after individuals have undergone cancer treatment, emphasising the crucial role played by the voluntary sector. The network started in early 2020 with just six charities and it has rapidly grown to more than 140 throughout the whole of the North East and North Cumbria.
This event marks a significant departure from Cancern’s usual online meetings, as representatives from diverse cancer charities will come together in person to showcase their work. The participating organisations range from local to national charities, and they collectively serve the entire North East and North Cumbria region.
The Expo promises meaningful networking opportunities, with the morning session dedicated to discussing Cancern’s achievements over the past year and gaining input from members to shape the organisation’s strategy for the next three years. In the afternoon, the focus will shift to exploring ways for voluntary sector organisations to collaborate more closely with Macmillan, the NHS and other local healthcare providers.
Maggie Bailey, CEO of Coping With Cancer, based at Anitsford is the Chair of Cancern and she expressed her hopes for the event, stating, “The incidence of cancer is rising exponentially and coupled with that we are discovering cancer at an early age. By 2030 one in two people will have experienced some form of cancer and we need to be prepared for that.
“This event is a unique opportunity for the NHS and other partners to meet more than 140 local and national charities all working to help people affected by cancer. I am excited to see what our workshops will recommend for future co-working and strategies as the amount of expertise in the room will be unprecedented.”
Wendy Hodgson, Network Coordinator of Cancern North agreed, “This event isn’t just about bringing people together, it’s there to make sure that everyone knows what each charity can offer and to facilitate links that in the future may see them work together on specific areas of support for the community. It’s also about letting the NHS know what the charity is doing and showing the value that they bring in supporting people with cancer, their families and carers.
“We are committed to improving cancer care and support through collaboration, networking, and innovation and this event will not only change people’s lives but help to save them in the future.”