The Irish Cancer Society's nationwide appeal for Church Gate volunteers

We are putting out an urgent call for Church Gate volunteers to help raise money in various locations each weekend throughout the year.

Have you got extra time on your hands and want to do something for a worthwhile cause?

The Society is putting out an urgent call for Church Gate volunteers to help raise money in the following locations:

October Church Gate Collections

Did you know Cancer will affect one in three of us during the course of our lifetime and one in four of us will die from the disease. Your contribution will help us to improve the lives of people affected by cancer in your community.

It’s very easy to organise a churchgate collection and we can provide you with everything you need!

How do I sign up?

Simply call the fundraising team on CallSave 1850 60 60 60 or email fundraising@irishcancer.ie and register your interest to help with any of the above collections.

What will I need to do the collection?

We can send you collection buckets and stickers to use on the day, we also have posters which you can use to promote the collection in your area.

What do I do after the collection?

It’s very easy, just lodge the money you have collected in any AIB bank using a bank giro we will send you.

Can I get some friends to help me?

Of course, just let us know how many collection buckets you need.

Where does the money raised through churchgate collections go?

In 2010, a remarkable €513,000 was collected outside church gates by volunteers from across the county. The funds raised through Church Gate collections are essential if the Society is to continue to provide its vital range of free nationwide patient care services.

Funds raised through church gate collections fund the following patient care services;

• Our specialist cancer nurses supported 21,206 callers to our National Cancer Helpline (Freefone 1800 200 700) in 2010 which was an increase from 19,331 calls in 2009.
• We provided 7,187 nights of care to almost 2,058 families in 2010 which was an increase up 7,000 nights in 2009.
• We funded 16 Oncology Liaison Nurses in hospitals across the country to the value of €497,943.
• We provided financial aid to the value of over €909,512.
• Travel2Care grants of €188,485 were administered to patients across Ireland. Travel2Care is a transportation assistance fund which has been made available by the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) to patients travelling for cancer treatment and is administered by the Irish Cancer Society.
• We distributed over 210,369 cancer information booklets and factsheets to people concerned about cancer across the country in 2010.
• We funded two Daffodil Centre’s; one in Galway University Hospital and one in Beaumont Hospital Dublin. The Daffodil Centres are an extension of our Cancer Information Service and are there to provide information, advice and support to all those concerned or affected by cancer in the Hospital. The Irish Cancer Society wants to see these centres established in hospitals across Ireland and we are currently in discussions with five other hospitals about opening more Daffodil Centres in 2011.

Most recent data from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) shows that 29,775 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2009, new cases of cancer are expected to reach over 40,000 by 2020.

CallSave the fundraising team on 1850 60 60 60 or email fundraising@irishcancer.ie