We are thankful to the following groups who have provided generous funding to the Tumour Bank
Government Funding
Funding the Tumour Bank's activities has come from a number of sources, including:
Department of Health
The Department of Health supports several staff members of the Tumour Bank and also basic operational consumables required for sample processing (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/).
National Health & Medical Research Council
The Tumour Bank has been fortunate to be awarded a number of research infrastructure grants. The NH&MRC has supported the Tumour Bank through a large Enabling Grant facilitating the Tumour Bank's role in the Australasian Biospecimens Network Oncology program. This funding has supported the Tumour Bank database administration manager (http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/).
Cancer Institute NSW
Recent support from the Cancer Institute of NSW has enabled the Tumour Bank to develop the Pathology Support Laboratory. This facility was established to facilitating research orientated support into paediatric cancers. This support includes expertise and skills in a number to samples based preparation methodologies (http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au/).
Community Charitable funding
Oncology Children's Foundation
The Oncology Children’s Foundation (OCF) is an Australian charity dedicated to finding cures for specific childhood cancers.
They raise money to fund research programs with the sole objective of finding cures for childhood cancers with the lowest survival rates.
The fight to find cures for childhood cancer is one of medicine’s greatest success stories. Fifty years ago only two percent of children with cancer survived. That figure has now risen to 80 percent. A sustained and growing investment in research is allowing earlier diagnosis, better treatments and fewer side effects.
OCF is focused on finding cures for particular childhood cancers such as Brain Tumours and Neuroblastoma. Almost half of children with these types of cancer lose their battle. This is an outcome that OCF is determined to improve by funding some of Australia’s best childhood cancer researchers. More information can be found at http://www.ocf.com.au.
Kayak 4 Kemo Kids
Kayaking for Kemo Kids is a voluntary non-profit charitable trust fund organisation and is dedicated to the bravery of children diagnosed with cancer. They pride themselves on their business sponsors covering running costs and the fact that every dollar raised by the community is donated to the nominated organisations. There are no wages in this organisation, just the bare running cost which allows them to make a very real impact and difference.
K4KKs precise focus is to raise funds and awareness for Australian children’s cancer research and support organisations by utilising the events significant history and recognised high achievements. The Trust has run a series of bi-annual fundraising events and have urged support and sponsorship from both the community and corporate world around Australia. In total, they have donated close to $500,000 to the Tumour Bank at The Children’s hospital at Westmead. More information can be found at http://www.a4kk.com/.
Lions Club
Lions Clubs in every town run many local activities. The activities may be to raise money for local people or projects. Usually a club would prefer to put the majority of money raised back into its local community. Activities are split into two categories, Foundations and Programs.
Foundations are to raise money for such things as ongoing medical research, or to provide funds for emergency or disaster relief.
Programs are run as a either a service to the community or to assist Lions members, e.g. training and development through leadership programs.
Activities which assist the community are funded by appeals, or donations and bequests from the public (http://www.lionsclubs.org.au/).
Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust
For the past 18 years the world-renowned Jenolan Caves west of Sydney has celebrated Christmas with the 'Carols in the Caves Concert'. The event is held in the 'Mother Nature's Auditorium', Jenolan’s magnificent Grand Arch and attracts over 500 patrons every year. During the concert many of the performers scale the great heights among the stalactites and stalagmites, with displays of beauty around the Grand Arch through the use of different lighting effects. This event has become an institution at Jenolan Caves with patrons coming from both local areas and greater Sydney. The event is promoted as a family friendly environment for celebrating Christmas and promoting the Christmas spirit of goodwill and charity. The main focus of the day is to raise much-needed funds for research into the causes and cures of childhood cancer. The funds raised are specifically used to support the research of the Tumour Bank at The Children's Hospital at Westmead as it seeks to develop improved ways to diagnose childhood cancer (http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/).
