Using the Together Fund to help provide opportunities to people battling a cancer diagnosis
Breckland Cancer Support is a Thetford-based support group designed to support those affected by cancer.
Through discussions with attendees, the group identified that several of the members reported having little to look forward to, which resulted in a decline in their physical and mental wellbeing.
With these challenges in mind, Active Norfolk and Breckland Cancer Support worked together to formulate a plan to approach this challenge, by helping to support the group in becoming more active.
The Aim
“I spoke to Gabriel [from Active Norfolk] on the phone and he was enthusiastic about the help Active Norfolk could give. The idea was to give people something to look forward to, and doing it in a group with others going through similar problems allows people to be themselves (which in itself is good for mental stress.)”
Martin Wheeler, Breckland Cancer Support
Active Norfolk and Breckland Cancer Support were introduced through the Breckland District Council Communities team. The introductory meeting discussed the challenges identified through the group discussions, and how physical activity could help.
It was decided that combining the opportunity to take part in physical activity whilst being out in nature alongside others going through a similar experience would be a good way to address many of the challenges faced by participants.
Breckland Cancer Support would arrange physical and mental activities for the group. This included walking around local areas of beauty and enjoying the beauty of national trust houses in Norfolk. Active Norfolk agreed to provide transport funding so that more people could benefit.
The Challenges
As Breckland Cancer Support sought the opinion of a steering group in advance, there was a positive response to the idea of arranging group outings.
They praised the support of Gabriel, the Breckland locality officer at Active Norfolk who helped bring the plan to fruition through the arrangement of transport funding.
With this said, the challenges identified included finding locations that everyone wanted to visit, at a time that suited everyone. Another challenge was finding coach companies who would provide transport at a reasonable cost.
“The initial visit was to Sandringham. We used the funding from Active Norfolk to get a coach which collected everyone from Thetford and took us all to Sandringham.
Once there, we paid for the entrance to the house and gardens, as well as a coffee for everyone (paid for by donations).”
Martin Wheeler, Breckland Cancer Support
Once the initial visit to Sandringham was complete, however, the process began to improve. This was thanks to the positive feedback from those who had attended, who provided both praise and constructive ideas on how to improve future trips. The coach challenge was addressed by doing plenty of research and speaking to a range of companies in order to ensure they had gotten the best quote. This resulted in the benefit of forming good contacts with the chosen coach companies, which means future trips will be easier to arrange.
The Approach
What was the funding used for?
The funding was used to provide transport to the outings. This meant that more people could take part, even if they didn’t have access to their own method of transport. Entry and a coffee at the destination were covered by donations to the group.
Adapting plans
Whilst the steering group put forward some ideas on where to go, this outline changed upon getting feedback from the group. It was important that those behind the idea were familiar with the members of the group and willing to adapt based on feedback. This willing approach to change meant that a suitable location was found that more people could enjoy.
The Outcomes: Breckland Cancer Support Group
The provider has received feedback for the initial trips, which has been overwhelmingly positive. Some notable feedback was as follows:
- The group as a whole said that they enjoyed the trip and could not wait until the next one.
- Individuals got in touch with the steering group to report how much they enjoyed spending time with everyone and how looking forward to the next trip made a real difference to their wellbeing.
- The people who benefitted from the trips we arranged have had a definite change in their mental attitude. One participant who would rarely leave her house before is now going out more regularly and has grown in confidence.
Breckland Cancer Support have extended thanks to Active Norfolk and advised that without the funding provided, they would not have been able to have such an impact on the participants’ wellbeing. Going forward, the project is planned to continue on a smaller scale. The provider is seeking further funding to enable them to keep planning future trips. This will hopefully help people to consider their wellbeing after a diagnosis, which can have a huge impact on physical health.
“I would like to thank AN for helping so many people get through this year with things to look forward to rather than their problems.”
Martin Wheeler, Breckland Cancer Support
“We arrange physical and mental activities for the group, which include walking around local areas of beauty and enjoying the beauty of national trust houses etc.”
Martin Wheeler, Breckland Cancer Support
Find out more
Breckland Cancer Support worked with Active Norfolk to submit a successful funding application through the Together Fund.
Whilst applications for this fund have now closed, you can see some of the other funding pots available below.