Grants secure new therapist for local cancer patients

Monday 12 July 2021

Islanders with cancer and other life-limiting conditions will be able to benefit from Foot and Hand Reflexology, Reiki and emotional support thanks to grant funding totalling £27,000 to two charities.

Islanders looked after by Jersey Hospice and Macmillan Jersey will jointly benefit from the recruitment of Complementary Therapist Georgie Philips.

Working with Hospice, she will provide treatments and therapies to those who access care either on the In Patient Unit or in the community, including those who come to stay at Hospice for a short period, before they return home.

With MacMillan Jersey, Ms Philips will be providing therapy to anyone affected by cancer with volunteer therapists at The Oasis, their centre based at Lido Medical Centre. 

Pictured: Jersey Hospice Care have received £12,000 to help pay for Ms. Philips.

To fund the role, Hospice has received £12,000 from the profits of the Channel Island Lottery from the Association of Jersey Charities, as well as a commitment from the Association to ward two further years’ of funding, subject to conditions.

Meanwhile, the Greville Bathe Fund - which helps the sick and elderly, and non-public institutions dedicated to their care - donated to MacMillan, giving them a one year grant of £15,000.

“From March 2020 complementary therapies were stopped at The Oasis due to the pandemic. It is one of our most popular services. In 2019 we provided 251 complementary therapies compared to 55 in 2020," Macmillan Jersey's Pam Aubert said.

Pictured: With MacMillan, Ms Philips will be operating out of their Oasis Centre at Lido Medical Centre.

She continued: “So far since re-starting the service in April 2021 we have provided 93 therapies at The Oasis and 38 at Hospice.

"A service user who had weekly reflexology said it reduced stress and helped them sleep on days they had treatment.

"We are delighted to get therapies restarted and look forward to developing the service in the future.”