1 Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz

Summer/Autumn 2020

How you help us, help your community

Support Referrals For the year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, 8,697 cancer patients were referred to the Cancer Society throughout Aotearoa. Of these, 913 were located in the Central Districts region. Nearly 61% of those patients were females and 39% were males. About 70% of the patients referred were under the age of 70.

In the Central Districts division more than $1 million was dedicated to supportive care services. This meant the supportive care team could:

• Conduct 1,590 face-to-face contacts with clients.• Host 2,542 attendees at supportive care programmes

such as exercise groups, facilitated education sessions (eg: survivorship), outreach groups etc.

• Provide a total of 50,417 individual copies of cancer information booklets from the wide range of publications for the 2018/19 year.

EducationIn Central Districts more than $416,000 was spent on health promotion, helping to educate communities on reducing their risk of cancer.

The SunSmart Schools Programme is a large proportion of the education work undertaken by the health promotion team.

Currently, there are 934 SunSmart accredited schools

throughout Aotearoa, this is about 41% of New Zealand’s primary and intermediate schools. As a result, 179,979 (about 37%) Kiwi students study in a sun safe environment. The number of students is expected to increase with another 212 schools underway with their accreditation process.

Of those SunSmart schools nationally, 152 of these are in the Central Districts region.

The health promotion team made 24 submissions to local governing bodies, lobbying on behalf of the community on topics such as:

• Skin cancer prevention• Tobacco control• Men’s health• Obesity prevention

But it’s not only donations that allow the Cancer Society to support people, but also the hundreds of volunteers who selflessly gift their time.

A whopping 17,806 dedicated volunteer hours helped to ensure cancer patients and their whanau received the support they needed across our region, where and when they needed it. And with more than 85% of Central District clients living in rural areas, an amazing 242,779 kilometres were driven by volunteers to help cover the ground. n

As a non-Government funded charity the work undertaken by the Cancer Society is thanks to the support of individuals, business partners and grant administrators.

Here’s a snap-shot of just a fraction of the support and work that was undertaken by the team throughout the Central Districts Division to help people and their whanau on a journey with cancer, last financial year.

WHANGANUI

2 Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz

Be A SunSmart KiwiAs Kiwis we should be well versed in sun protection for ourselves and our whanau.

It doesn’t matter what the temperature is during summer months, UV radiation can still cause skin and eye damage even on cooler and cloudy days.

It’s important for everyone to protect themselves when outside and especially so if you work in outdoor employment.Being SunSmart should be part of our everyday routine during summer months (September to April), but it also needs to be a top priority if you’re on the water or up the mountains during winter.

Here are our tips for keeping SunSmart:

Slip on a shirtSlip on a shirt with long sleeves. Fabrics with a tighter weave and darker colours will give you better protection from the sun. Some outdoor and farm stores also stock clothing with a UPF rating.

Slip into the shadeSlip into the shade of an umbrella or a leafy tree. Plan your outdoor activities for early or later in the day when the sun’s UV levels are lower.

Slop on sunscreenSlop on plenty of broad-spectrum, water resistant sunscreen of at least SPF 30. Apply 20 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours and especially after being in water or sweating.

Slap on a hatWear a hat with a wide brim or a cap with flaps. More people are sunburnt on the face and neck than any other part of the body.

Wrap on sunglassesChoose close fitting, wrap around style sunglasses. Not all sunglasses protect against UV radiation, so always check the label for the sun protection rating.

Sun ScreenThe Cancer Society recommends choosing a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and to look for the AS/NZ 2604 standard on the label.

Effective protection depends on correct application and the use of sunscreen in conjunction with other SunSmart principles such as wearing a wide brimmed hat, seeking out shade and wearing sunglasses.

It’s best to apply sunscreen 20 minutes before sun exposure to allow time for it to dry and be absorbed into the skin.

The average sized adult should apply 1 teaspoon to each arm, and to the face (including the ears and neck); and at least a teaspoon to each leg, the front of body, and the back of body.

Always reapply sunscreen every two hours when you are outdoors and more often if you are sweating or in water.

Be UV AwareYou can also download the free uv2Day app from the smart phone play store. The app provides forecasts of the UV index, with and without cloud effects, throughout the day at your nearest location or other selectable regions. n

The staff at the Whanganui Cancer Society are once again grateful to the Whanganui Rapid Relief Team (Silver Business Partners) and David Jones Motors (Gold Business Partners) for another generous 12 months sponsorship of a vehicle for Supportive Care and Fundraising use.

The car will primarily be used by Kerri Dewson-Pratt Supportive Care Coordinator to attend weekly clinics in the Whanganui- Rangitikei- Waimarino rural areas such as Marton, Taihape, Ohakune & Raetihi.

The support of the vehicle enables the centre to provide a more equitable service to those outside of Whanganui who have been diagnosed with cancer.

It will also be used to promote the centre’s main fundraising events such as Daffodil Day (28 August, 2020) & Relay For Life (31 October, 2020) with signwriting designed by Display Associates, another valued supporter of the Whanganui Cancer Society. n

VOLUNTEERS

If you volunteer for the Cancer Society you may have already seen the new Volunteer Handbook that has just been finished. This is a great new tool for volunteers, with everything they need to know in one place. If you have not received your copy yet, please contact your local volunteer coordinator to have a chat and collect your copy. n

3www.cancer.org.nz Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division

Introducing Ripple - The AppRipple, an app that offers mobile, 24/7 cancer support throughout New Zealand was founded and born from the vision of a cancer survivor in Taranaki.

Founded by the Cancer Society Taranaki and cancer survivor Josh Hickford it was launched towards the end of last year.

Cancer has a ripple effect on society. Likewise, community resilience and the support generated, can yield a powerful and positive ripple effect.

Taranaki local Josh, never noticed the Cancer Society Taranaki Centre down the road from his house in New Plymouth, that is, until he needed it. The 30-year-old Survivor NZ contestant was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the beginning of 2017, and his life changed in a flash.

Following treatment and recovery Josh identified the need for people affected by cancer to be able to connect at a time and pace that suited them as individuals.

“I wanted to help connect people – family, whanau, friends and patients – to give peace of mind, empower and share their experience with others. You really can not underestimate the use of first-hand advice.”

Josh and the Cancer Society Taranaki’s vision was to build an app that could monitor all aspects of the cancer journey, not just for patients but survivors and anyone else touched by cancer. From here the nation-wide app was launched.

What is Ripple?Ripple is a self-serve app that allows a patient to patient, carer to carer, user to user relationship. Anyone touched by cancer can share their experiences. That is the beauty of Ripple - it is at the ground level, at the pace of the user, on their time, with anyone, anywhere in New Zealand.

Josh says the foundation of Ripple is its users. “These users can be anyone from patients and survivors to

caregivers, family, whanau, friends, specialists and anyone impacted by cancer.”

Ripple focuses on forums as a means of sharing first-hand experiences, knowledge and stories to help others through their journey, no matter where they reside in New Zealand. Users can also private message when needed.

Resources and other support services will be readily available and app users can track their wellbeing and energy levels daily – this is expected to improve the wellness of patients and survivors as they overcome and recover from their treatment. Ripple will connect people from Kaitaia to Bluff, giving all users the same level of support regardless of location.

“The power to provide support is in each other’s hands. New Zealanders will now have the ability to help each other, band together and share resources, experiences and knowledge to enrich our community,” says Josh.

Ripple can be downloaded now for free from the Apple and Google Play stores. Search ‘Ripple NZ’.

To learn more, visit: www.weareripple.co.nz n

Josh Hickford left and former Cancer Society Taranaki Wellness Facilitator Tessa Delport at the launch of the Ripple App recently.

Making Donations by ChequeKiwibank announced last year that they are planning to stop processing cheques from 28 February 2020. They stopped issuing new cheque books from 30 September 2019.

We urge our Kiwibank supporters to prepare for the change. Kiwibank are running free digital banking courses at selected community centres and libraries around the country. To find out more information, you can visit the KiwiBank website at www.kiwibank.co.nz.

Looking to the future it appears as though other banks will follow this trend in coming years. All banks offer a range of other safe ways to pay bills, make purchases or kindly give donations.

Other ways to make a donation:We are happy to help anyone affected by the change with finding other ways to support the work of the Cancer Society. You can use your debit card or credit card for any of the options below.

Website:Donate on our website. This is the easiest, safest and most secure way to donate. Visit www.cancernz.org.nz and click on the yellow ‘Donate’ button in the top right hand corner.

Online Banking:The Cancer Society Central Districts is already loaded as a payee through online banking. If you are set up for internet banking, all you need to do is write our name in the payee box and our account details will appear.

You will be asked to include your donor number which is on all correspondence you receive from us.

Phone:You can call the Cancer Society Central Districts office on 06 356 4011 during office hours of 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday, and we will be able to process your donation over the phone.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to help. n

Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz4

UP COMING EVENTS 2020 FEBRUARY1-28 ................ Ovarian Cancer Awareness month

Bile Duct Cancer Awareness month

MARCH1-31 March ....... Relay For Life ..........................................www.relayforlife.org.nz 14-15 March ...... Cancer Society Manawatu Relay For Life28 March .......... Cancer Society Taranaki Relay For Life5 March ........... National Children’s Day ..............................www.wellchild.org.nz8 March ........... International Women’s Day .........................www.internationalwoemsday.com20 March ......... World Oral Health day ................................www.worldoralhealthday.com

APRILTesticular Cancer Awareness Month

22 April ............ Earth Day ...............................................www.earthday.co.nz 25 April ............ Anzac Day

It marks the 20th year since the 24 hour event began in the region. It was also notably the first event

of its kind in New Zealand and it has also endured in the 24 hour format.

Relay For Life, an event that occurs around the world, is all about celebrating the lives of people who have faced cancer, remembering loved ones lost to cancer, and uniting to fight back against the disease.

The event is shaping up to be a big one with planning now in its final stages. The celebration event is being held at the Hokowhitu Campus in Palmerston North and you can head along and offer your support to the participating teams on March 14th and 15th from 12pm to 12pm.

Cancer Society Taranaki is hosting their relay event on Saturday March 28th from 10.30am – 10.30pm at the TET Stadium & Events Centre, Inglewood. This 12 hour event is getting oodles of support from the local community.

Other Relay events are being held in the spring with Whanganui and Hawke’s Bay opting to host a spring event. Gisborne host a biennial Relay For Life with their next one scheduled for 2021.

You can find out more about the various Relay events by visiting www.relayforlife.org.nz and navigating to the Central Districts region on the map or in the menu. n

Manawatu 14-15 March (20th anniversary) Venue: Hokowhitu CampusTaranaki 28 March, 10.30am–10.30pm Venue: TET Stadium & Events Centre, Inglewood.Whanganui Spring 2020Hawke’s Bay Spring 2020

DATES 2020

Relay For Life 2020

The Cancer Society Central Districts division and its regional centres are immensely grateful to the following grant providers who have provided support in the past few months.• COG’s• Four Regions Trust• NZ Lotteries Grand Board• Pelorus Trust• St Laurence Social Service Trust• The Lion Foundation• The Southern Trust • Thomas George Macarthy Trust• Whanganui Community Foundation

A big thank you for

A big thank you for

the support of the

the support of the

work we do.work we do.

Relay For Life 2020 in Manawatu is a milestone celebration.