The Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation

Overview

Beating Breast Cancer Together

The Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit, unincorporated charity organisation, which exists to support breast cancer patients and their families at the time of their greatest need. The Foundation raises funds for the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute is one of Australia's leading centres for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer. The Institute's team of medical experts provides specialist patient treatment and care at Royal Prince Alfred, Concord and Strathfield Private Hospitals in Sydney, providing over 17,000 patient consultations and operating on 542 new breast cancers in 2007. It is a leading centre of knowledge, providing information and support on all aspects of the care and management of breast cancer to women and their families, medical practitioners and researchers.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute relies on donations and support from funds raised by the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation for vital breast cancer treatment, research, patient education and specialised equipment.

Direction & Philosophy

Our Mission: drives our deep connection with the experience of breast cancer patients and their families

The Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation believes that all breast cancer patients deserve access to the best possible medical treatment and support, and that increasing awareness is vital to beating the disease.

Our mission is to improve survival rates and the quality of life of breast cancer patients and their families by raising funds on behalf of the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute for patient support, treatment and research and for increased awareness

Our Vision: inspires our hope for the future, through our work

The quality of life and survival rates of breast cancer patients are dramatically improved through public awareness, support and optimal medical treatment, readily available to all individuals.

Broad Goals:

• Provide effective supplementary funding for the work of the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute to enable the best possible medical treatment and care for its patients
• Fund and support practical assistance directly to breast cancer patients and their families by funding programs and initiatives to improve their quality of life
• Conduct education and awareness activity about prevention and early detection, in order to reduce suffering and improve survival rates for breast cancer patients
• Offer opportunities for individuals and organisations to find out about us and participate in community philanthropy to join us in our work
• Maintain a culture of excellence and integrity by continually improving our performance towards our Mission to ensure long term sustainability

Values & Guiding Principles:

In working towards its Mission, the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation is guided by the following values & principles:

Equality & accessibility

Acknowledging that all breast cancer patients deserve access to the best possible treatment and practical support;

Understanding, assistance & support

Working to understand the special needs of our patients with a view to proactively assisting and supporting them throughout their treatment;

Empathy & respect

Accepting the need for our patients and their families to be treated with empathy and respect, and that some patients will need more support than others;

Courage & hope

Nurturing courage and hope in breast cancer patients and their families, as they battle the disease;

Knowledge & empowerment

Delivering education and awareness initiatives as vital tools to empower individuals to beat breast cancer through prevention, detection and treatment;

Teamwork, collaboration & excelence

Exercising internal teamwork and collaboration, working closely with the SBCI and Area Health, together with our supporters and other not-for-profits, to achieve our goals and create standards of excellence;

Caring, compassion & philanthropy

Fostering community caring and compassion towards our cause and encouraging community philanthropy to continue our work;

Professionalism, transparency & good governance

Undertaking work in a professional and transparent manner, underpinned by good governance and ensuring a sustainable organisation to achieve our objectives.

Meet the Team

Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation following voluntary Committee members:

• Ms Deborah West (President)
• Ms Sarah Overton (Vice-President)
• Ms Danielle Walley (Vice-President)
• Ms Sandy Halpin (Co-Treasurer)
• Mrs Harriett Harrison (Co-Treasurer)
• Dr Jane Beith
• Dr Hugh Carmalt
• Mrs Lynne Crookes OAM
• Ms Pam Hance
• Ms Marie Janik
• Ms Julia Newell
• Mrs Melanie Smith
• Ms Ayda Soydash
• Mrs Anne West
• Associate Professor Richard West, AM

Honorary committee members: Ms Angela Bishop, Mrs Jacqueline Samuels, Associate Professor Stuart Renwick, AM, Ms Amanda Warn, Mrs Jan Warn.

Patrons: Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of New South Wales and Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC, OBE.