Our story so far
Kerry Cancer Support Group is a fully registered charity and was founded in 2007 and has gone from strength to strength since then.
Mission
No one should face their cancer journey alone: Kerry Cancer Support Group is devoted to maintaining a warm, welcoming environment while ensuring that service users have immediate access to our free programmes and resources. Our professional staff strive to help people affected by cancer in a way that is as supportive and helpful as possible to achieve the highest quality of life. Kerry Cancer Support Group is a community-based, volunteer-driven, community-supported organisation.
Mission
No one should face their cancer journey alone: Kerry Cancer Support Group is devoted to maintaining a warm, welcoming environment while ensuring that service users have immediate access to our free programmes and resources. Our professional staff strive to help people affected by cancer in a way that is as supportive and helpful as possible to achieve the highest quality of life. Kerry Cancer Support Group is a community-based, volunteer-driven, community-supported organisation.
Vision
To provide an unparalleled experience as the most trusted partner for health care transport in the region.
Kerry Cancer Support Group Health Link Transport was established 10 years ago to provide essential transport services to and from Cork to enable Cancer Patients attend appointments to receive treatment. To date 100% voluntary funded organisation has provided transport for over 3,000 service users who have attended over 23,000 cancer related appointments.
From humble beginnings in 2010 we now provide practical services to our service users such as a bus service 5 days a week, bridging transport service, information service to schools and community groups and a peer companion service.
Over one million km has been covered while taking service users to 8 hospitals across Cork and Limerick in the past 10 years. We work in partnership with the HSE, the medical profession, the Irish Cancer Society and other relevant agencies. We are independently governed and operated and are not funded by any national cancer organisations or don't receive any statuary funding.
The service is only made possible by the dedication of our bus drivers and volunteers. We help people through their journey with the help of funding of community groups, donations, sponsorship and fundraising activities. On average there are 200 fundraisers held each year for the service.
On average it would cost a person €500 euro or more in private transport costs to attend appointments. Public transport could cost between €400 and €800 and if using taxis it could cost up to €5,000. The service that we provide is free.
The demand for the transport service has been increasing each year. Transport to and from appointments benefit the patient and also family members and can reduce a lot of anxiety and stress. Our service users stay in touch long after their time on the bus has finished. We like to say they start as patients and leave as friends.
About the Service
Twelve years ago we listened. One of the biggest concerns for those being diagnosed with cancer in our region was how to get to our Centres of excellence for treatment. In 2010 Kerry Cancer Support Group put a service on the road to meet that need and 12 years later we are still meeting the needs not only of people in Kerry but in parts of Cork and Limerick too. Transport is seen as an essential part of treatment. We are a community based charity and provide a community based transport service to people accessing Cancer Treatment Centres in Kerry, Cork and Limerick.
12 Years of Kerry Cancer Support Group - Driving Recovery
1,287,498 KM travelled (that is over 32 times around the world!!)
Over 6,000 Service users transported to over 60,000 cancer related appointments
8 Hospitals in the region covered
We have gone through 5 buses and 6 jeeps (jeeps kindly sponsored by Kerry motor Works)
We have had 14 bus drivers
We currently have a bank of 15 voluntary drivers
Countless volunteers who have supported and fundraised for us
We have on average 200 fundraisers a year (Covid has changed that but we are slowly building back up)
We give on average 45 awareness talks to schools and groups throughout the year (Covid has moved us to Zoom with that one)
Blankets of Hope
We are delighted to collect and distribute handcrafted blankets to our service users. They are given as part of a comfort pack when someone travels with us. The blankets are either crocheted or knitted and donated. We also have many countywide knitting groups who meet regularly to make blankets. These are very social and supportive groups and are very beneficial to those who attend. The care pack includes products suitable for those going through treatment and a beautiful unique handcrafted blanket.
Who Keeps the Flag Flying?
We have a team of 8 (2 staff and 6 bus drivers). We refer to 2 counsellors. We have 15 volunteer drivers, 12 peer companions and 10/20 other volunteers when needed and greatly appreciate every minute that they are able to give to us. We also have a voluntary Board to oversee everything.
