Cancer Centre staff take on the Friendship Five to support their patients

A group of colleagues from the Cancer Centre in Belfast are taking part in an incredible fundraising challenge to raise vital funds to support Friends of the Cancer Centre.

Renée Reid, Bronagh Flynn, Laurena Kane, Elaine Shaw and Gillian Lindsay will be walking 5km a day, five days a week for five weeks as part of Friends of the Cancer Centre’s Friendship Five challenge.  The fundraiser is calling on local people to get active by walking, running, swimming, cycling, or another activity of their choice, a distance of five miles while raising money to support the charity’s vital work.  Not only that, but the charity is encouraging people to get five of their friends involved too, with each person taking on a five mile challenge while abiding by local COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing rules. The team of colleagues, who are all funded and supported by Friends of the Cancer Centre, include two specialist nurses and a social worker dedicated to teenagers and young adults with cancer; Northern Ireland’s only breast oncology clinical nurse specialist and a clinical nurse specialist for head and neck cancer.

The group are stepping out to help raise vital funds for Friends of the Cancer Centre which supports the people and families they work with every day.  Commenting on what motivated them to show their support for the charity, Renée Reid, Friends of the Cancer Centre’s clinical nurse specialist for teenagers and young adults, said:

“We all work in the Cancer Centre, supporting patients and their families through a very difficult and sometimes lonely time.  Whilst each of our individual roles vary, they all focus around supporting and caring for our patients during diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Friends of the Cancer Centre plays a really important role in patient care and working in the Cancer Centre we get to see the wider impact the charity has on our patients lives.  From providing financial support to help patients through a difficult time, to supporting life-saving research which is giving so many people hope, the work of the charity is extensive and so important.

“As a team, we are really aware of how COVID-19 has affected the charity and we wanted to do something to show our support.  We hope we can raise money and encourage others to take part in Friendship Five as the work of the charity depends on the generosity of the people in Northern Ireland.”

For 35 years Friends of the Cancer Centre has been dedicated to making a real and meaningful difference to cancer patients and their families across Northern Ireland.  The charity enhances the quality of patient care and support through our life-changing and life-saving work which includes funding additional nurses, supporting local research and providing practical support, such as financial grants, which can make a difficult time a little easier for patients.  Friends of the Cancer Centre relies entirely on the generosity of the local community and all money donated stays in Northern Ireland, directly benefitting patients and their families

Amy Reynolds, fundraising officer at Friends of the Cancer Centre said:

“On behalf of the charity, I’d like to say thank you to Renée, Bronagh, Laurena, Elaine and Gillian for taking part in the Friendship Five to raise funds to support the vital work of the charity.

“Like so many charities, our fundraising has been significantly impacted by Covid-19 due to the cancellation of some of our headline events, but the charity’s vital work has continued to support people through these incredibly challenging times.  Our team of funded staff are working tirelessly to support local families and we need to keep our fundraising going to help ensure this can continue.”

If you would like to support the group’s fundraising you can make a donation here:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/5-friends

To get involved now and join the Friendship Five register online at www.friendsofthecancercentre.com or call 07384547014 to receive your virtual fundraising kit.