Call for east Antrim volunteers to drive cancer patients to appointments

By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jun 2022, 16:43 BST
Updated 17th Jun 2022, 16:57 BST
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A kind Newtownabbey resident, who volunteers as a driver for Cancer Focus, is urging other members of the public to support the initative as the service is expanded to Antrim, Ballymena and Larne.

The charity is looking for volunteers who have the time to offer a lift to cancer patients who need to get to and from their hospital appointments.

The service has been running since 2010 in Belfast and the South Eastern Health Trust and provides an invaluable service to people who cannot drive to appointments and can’t rely on someone else to take them.

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Gordon from Newtownabbey has been a volunteer driver with Cancer Focus NI since 2013.

Cancer Focus NI.Cancer Focus NI.
Cancer Focus NI.

He said: “A few months before I was to retire from a 40-year stretch working in a local bank, I decided that I needed to do something worthwhile once I retired in September 2013.

“At the time, Cancer Focus (then called Ulster Cancer Foundation), was the bank’s nominated charity to support. Having lost family members to cancer it seemed obvious to see if I could do something with Cancer Focus. After contacting them, and reviewing the possibilities, the driving service seemed to be the best fit for me.