In the bright, sunlit living area of Cancer Care Western NSW’s Western Care Lodge, Jan Savage points out the newly installed plaque in recognition of their latest donation – $10,000 from the 2023 Tour De Cure, a three-day charity bike ride held in the Blue Mountains.

Around the room, other plaques adorn the walls, each recognising donations, big and small, that have assisted Cancer Care Western NSW’s mission to provide vital, affordable accommodation to people having cancer treatment here at Orange Hospital.

Built thanks to an enormous community fundraising drive, the 22-room self-care facility has welcomed more than 4,500 guests since opening in November 2011. Most come from small, remote communities; their stay for treatment often seven weeks or longer.

“It is important to us at the service to let everyone know the critical importance of ongoing support funding,” says Jan. “A lot of the country people that we've had come here have never been outside their town… they've been in a tight community and they're dislocated from family, pets, community and they're coming somewhere strange and it’s something unknown… but they come and stay here and it's really a home away from home.”

Before The Lodge was built, the only option for many patients coming to Orange for cancer treatment was to stay in a motel, which can be an expensive and lonely experience.

“I've been there, done that myself,” says Jan, who has had to find accommodation in Sydney herself while seeking treatment.

“It's a very costly exercise, but it's not only about the cost; it's the dislocation from your family and the communities you are used to being in.

“Here they have a communal area where they can actually meet and have social interaction with other patients and carers. And that's a really important part of the journey as well, being able to communicate with other people, have a laugh, share meals together, just really enjoy life and realise that they're not alone.”

And it’s not just the company and friendships found inside The Lodge that gives comfort to those staying there, says Jan, but also the support from the wider community that makes their stay possible.

“Their stay is enriched by knowing that people care, and are continually making the effort to support those undergoing life-saving intervention. To know that so many people care, so many that will never use the facility, means so very much,” she says, referring to the unwavering support they’ve received from businesses and individuals here in Orange and beyond.

“It's all about giving love to people, letting them know that people care and that even though we are a large community here that we've got a heart and that's what it's about.”

Since Cancer Care Western NSW was set up in 2007, they have raised over $5.7 million. Along with building and operating the Western Care Lodge, they also provided $350,000 in seed funding for the Clinical Cancer Trials at the Orange Health Service.