Community
21 March, 2025
COUCH needs your help
CANCER charity Cairns Organisation United For Cancer Health (COUCH) will today nut out a plan to become self-sufficient as federal funding via the North Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) dries up.
COUCH chairman Dr Scott Davis said for the past five years COUCH had relied on funding from NQPHN but now would be completely reliant on community donations and philanthropic contributions.
He said the COUCH board had set a goal of raising $1.5 million annually to retain and grow services, which included physical therapies, mental health support and wellness programs.
There was hope for future streams of government cash to flow from both the state and federal governments, but Dr Davis said much work was being done now behind the scenes to future-proof the hub.
He said key stakeholders from the political, health, business and civil sectors would come together at a roundtable today (Friday, March 21) to discuss board plans and to identify viable, long-term pathways so that the service could continue to bridge critical gaps in care and enhance patients’ lives.
“COUCH has the capacity to grow and provide multidisciplinary care, survivorship support and evidence-based interventions to up to 2000 cancer patients annually,” Dr Davis said.
“This is comforting news for the one-in-two of us likely to be affected by the disease.”
Far North state MPs have united in a strong show of support for COUCH as it pushes toward a sustainable future.
David Kempton (Cook), Bree James (Barron River), Terry James (Mulgrave) and Michael Healy (Cairns) have collectively signed up to be a champion of COUCH. “COUCH provides a critical service that is at risk and the community needs to pull together to help them,” the MPs said in a statement. “We recognise this and that’s why we’re stepping up and supporting COUCH.
“However, we urge other businesses and individuals to support urgently, otherwise we will lose it.”
Mayor Amy Eden, Advance Cairns and the Chamber of Commerce have also pledged their support.
“Our entire organisation from the board to our staff, volunteers and in particular our clients who use the centre, have been humbled by how people have rallied behind us,” Dr Davis said.
“Since the start of our campaign we have grown our cash reserves by 40 per cent which reinforces how important COUCH is to the Far North,” he said.
“We have something other regions much larger than us are envious of. It’s unique, innovative and effective in helping people and their families in their cancer journey and they are telling us they need and want us here.”
Go to https://bit.ly/42ddoHj to become a champion of COUCH for $2700 a year.
