{"id":130835,"date":"2025-05-25T14:21:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T14:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/130835\/"},"modified":"2025-05-25T14:21:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T14:21:16","slug":"new-cancer-support-centre-set-to-open-in-enniskillen-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/130835\/","title":{"rendered":"New cancer support centre set to open in Enniskillen \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE head of a cancer<\/a> charity has said a new regional support centre opening in Enniskillen<\/a> will be a game changer for patients who feel cut off from services in Belfast and Derry. <\/p>\n

Described as the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, the Regional Therapeutic Cancer Centre on Enniskillen\u2019s high street will allow patients and those affected by cancer to drop in for support without an appointment.<\/p>\n

Volunteers will also provide transport for those travelling long distances for cancer treatment at Altnagelvin Hospital or in Belfast City Hospital.<\/p>\n

Having received \u00a3420,000 in Department of Health funding, it is hoped that other hubs like it can open in the future.<\/p>\n

\"Approved<\/a>\"DUP<\/a>\"RichardRichard Spratt, CEO of Cancer Focus NI. <\/p>\n

CEO of Cancer Focus NI, Richard Spratt, spoke to the Irish News ahead of the official opening on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty full on, the building was handed to us a few weeks ago so we\u2019ve just been in the process of getting it soft-furnished and doing training with staff and volunteers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Spratt said the charity had taken inspiration from similar projects in other countries like Denmark, which offer a drop-in environment \u201cin a beautiful place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will feel like walking into someone\u2019s home, there\u2019s no reception area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut crucially, the facility is staffed by senior nurses who have cancer and oncology experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s an entirely non-clinical environment, where they get a really warm sense of welcome and sitting down for a cup of tea with someone who really understands cancer and the journey that they or their family member are on.\u201d<\/p>\n

With psychological and emotional support services, including support from accredited cancer counsellors, the facility will also host peer support groups.<\/p>\n

Mr Spratt said it was a natural choice to open the first facility in Fermanagh to address the \u201cseparateness and isolation\u201d felt in the western area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is diagnosed, they\u2019re 62 miles away from Altnagelvin or 82 miles away from Bridgewater, the two main treatment sites for cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means long distances to travel to chemotherapy and radiotherapy appointments. That\u2019s a huge demand, so we think there\u2019s a real need in that particular area.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the new centre is not somewhere for people to get diagnosed, he said that nurses and volunteers will be able to signpost visitors to the appropriate services.<\/p>\n

\"CiaranHope Street star Ciaran McMenamin has campaigned for cancer services after the death of his mother in 2023. (Jack McGuire\/Long Story TV\/BBC\/PA) <\/p>\n

Among those supporting the launch is Hope Street actor Ciaran McMenamin, who has campaigned for cancer support services after his mother Anne passed away in 2023 from breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMum would be thrilled to see this centre opening in Enniskillen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout her professional life as a district nurse, she cared for many cancer patients in our community. In retirement, she helped develop, then run the palliative transport services for Fermanagh. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, to see Cancer Focus NI promoting the patient driving service is brilliant and volunteers will remain a key part of this service. To have somewhere on the high street where people can walk in and receive the specific care, support and attention that Cancer Focus NI can offer from here now, is remarkable. My mother would be over the moon.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"BowelBowel cancer survivor Betty Fisher. PICTURE: JOHN MCVITTY (John McVitty – 07771987378 – jmcvitty@btopenworld.com) <\/p>\n

Fermanagh woman and bowel cancer survivor Betty Fisher also shared her experience. <\/p>\n

Receiving a \u201ctotally unexpected\u201d diagnosis two and a half years ago followed by \u201clife-changing surgery,\u201d she had part of her bowel removed and now lives with a colostomy pouch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of a local Cancer Support Centre in Enniskillen fills me with hope,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re facing cancer, it\u2019s not just the physical toll of treatment that wears you down, it\u2019s the long journeys to hospital, the unfamiliar clinical environments, the sense that you\u2019re facing something massive with no clear map.\u201d<\/p>\n

While supported by \u201camazing\u201d family and friends throughout her treatment, she added that outside help relieved the pressure of feeling of placing a \u201cburden\u201d on them when discussing her concerns. <\/p>\n

After Wednesday\u2019s official opening, the new centre will be open to the public from Monday, June 2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THE head of a cancer charity has said a new regional support centre opening in Enniskillen will be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130836,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[1204,57729,13975,1144,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-130835","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-cancer","9":"tag-enniskillen","10":"tag-health-and-wellbeing","11":"tag-northern-ireland","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114568920093304305","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}