Tasmanian Health System Support Projects

Since 2017, a series of Tasmania-specific grants have been awarded by the Ponting Foundation across the broad spectrum of health care; but all share commonality in that they will support Tasmanians suffering from cancer.

The following commitments have been made possible through a combination of the transfer of funds from the Jim Bacon Foundation in 2013 and fundraising from Ricky’s Biggest Game of Cricket held in Launceston in January 2017 including matching funding by the State Government of Tasmania.

Funding for Spurr Wing in Launceston to help provide accommodation for patients and families of patients attending the Launceston General Hospital. Spurr Wing is a ‘home away from home’ for patients and families of patients attending the hospital. It caters for:

• Country patients receiving daily treatments and requiring overnight accommodation
• Parents of children that are inpatients; and
• Those immediate country family members of inpatients

Financial support for the Hospice Support Volunteers organisations in the South, North West and North of Tasmania who each provide emotional, social and practical support to people affected by terminal illness.

Funding for the purchase and installation of a Sky Ceiling to assist the wellbeing and comfort of cancer patients whilst undergoing their radiation treatment at the Holmin Clinic which is part of the Launceston General Hospital.

Funding to assist in taking Cancer Education Tours to schools throughout Tasmania using puppets to covey messaging. A total of 64 schools visited will be visited over a two year period of support. Funding includes one-off purchase of puppets, sound equipment and program equipment that will remain in Tasmania.

Funding to assist the organisation of a PEER (Place of Enablement, Empowerment and Relationship) support program specially tailored to children and young people under 18 dealing with their own or a close family member’s cancer. The funds help Canteen run a three day program at Port Sorell in April 2018 for 40 young people aged 12-17 who are living with cancer.

The Ponting Foundation’s support for Cancer Council Tasmania includes grants to support young people with cancer and their families by:

• assisting with the expenses and stresses of a diagnosis, including in many cases the need to travel intrastate or interstate for investigation or treatment
• purchasing iPads and data packs for loan to patients; and
• providing funding for home care including items such as meal preparation, house cleaning or gardening

The Ponting Foundation has approved a grant of $20,000 part-funded a 12-month trial of an alternate model of care for Tasmanians, who currently rely on interstate facilities to provide the more complex/specialised aspects of care for children, adolescents and young adults living with cancer.

The trial was conducted by the Royal Hobart Hospital with the support of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Ponting Foundation funded a project at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital to study the changes that occur in the genes of cancer cells, and how those genes can be used in the diagnosis of cancer and the selection of appropriate treatments.