The Tomaree Breast Cancer Support Group provides information and support for women being treated for breast cancer living on the Tomaree Peninsula and their families.  The Support Group is a volunteer committee whose primary role is to offer women; newly diagnosed, during treatment and post treatment, practical day-to-day ‘grass roots’ support and to bring women together for fun and social activities.  If you would like to know more or become involved then we welcome you to attend our Support Group Meetings.  For more information please click here .

The Tomaree Support Group is now seven years old and going from strength to strength!  In 2001, I was approached by the late Virginia Rigby to jump in the deep end to establish the Group so I then asked Annie Cowling and Ann Curtis to jump in with me!  Due to personal commitments both these ladies stood down last year and were replaced by Julia Mayo and Victoria Lalor.  Once again we have a happy threesome at the helm.

Our firm commitment is to offer grassroots help to ladies with breast cancer in the Tomaree area.  Our main request is to provide transport to and from Newcastle for medical appointments, operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.  At first things were slow to move, but with good networking we are now in constant demand.  Towards the end of last year we actually had four ladies for daily radiation over the same period, and rostered for various times, quite a challenge.  Thanks to Judith Costello's quiet approach and excellent roster skills, all was achieved without a hitch.  The demand for driving is continuing at the same level this year and our drivers continue to happily make themselves available for each of the rosters.  We do offer other help such as lawn mowing, house cleaning, shopping, counselling and any other request to make their recovery period more comfortable.  Most of the ladies requiring our help are either living alone, or have husbands who are still working, or ill, or to aged to face driving to Newcastle each day for 4-6 weeks.

When things were slow in the early days, we started making underarm cushions, packaged with a lavender bag, and later a drainage bag was added.  These are supplied to hospitals where breast cancer operations are performed in the Hunter area.  They are kindly distributed for us by Penny Dudding.  Cushion-making has been a very worthwhile addition according to the demand and the many letters and cards of appreciation we receive from recipients.  Recently we received a letter of thanks from a lady in North Wales, to whom we have posted off a cushion pattern, as she wishes to start a group to make them as they have not seen anything so comforting.  We have posted cushions to patients in Chile, Japan, England, Sweden, Darwin, Melbourne and other towns in Australia.

The working bees arranged too sew the cushions are happy bonding days for our members.  Thanks to Shirley Sommerville and her group for the beforehand cutting, to the ladies who open their houses, and to all who participate.

None of these projects would be possible without money - we insist our drivers accept petrol money, and pay for the lawn mowing and house cleaning, plus the considerable cost of materials for our cushions.  Our plan has always been to raise enough to cover our costs plus.  At first we had to organise dinners, breakfasts, card days, Easter and Xmas raffles however, thanks to a very supportive community, they now approach us to offer to host fund-raising functions.

Last year alone we had The Soldiers Point Bowlers, Salamander Rotary, Seagrass Restaurant, The RSL Club, The Nelson Bays Ladies Golf and the grant through Port Stephens Council.  So now we are organising only one annual function, our Big Breakfast in October, which I am told has become the social event of the Bay, where 320 ladies scamper to get tickets, even before the official selling date.

Only two members have been in charge of fundraising over the years; Robyn Bradica for the first three years and now Lorraine Nicol, who through great networking, has put us right up there in the Community.  The Nelson Bay Bowling Club co-operate greatly, and if only you could see their rather ordinary auditorium and bowler's lounge made into one very posh, very pretty and very pink venue by Lorraine.

The Tomaree story has only been made possible by our members as by caring and sharing we can make a difference.