Convoy continues its support of the Illawarra Cancer Carers Patient Transport Program

21 May, 2026

Convoy continues its support of the Illawarra Cancer Carers by funding their 2026 patient transport program.

Behind every cancer journey, there’s often a carer giving their time, strength and heart.

In the Illawarra, the volunteers from the Illawarra Cancer Carers play an incredible role by supporting people through their appointments and supporting each other.

The Illawarra Cancer Carers have been in the Illawarra for over 35 years and in that time have helped many people in various ways. One very important way is driving patients to their radiation, chemotherapy, or doctors' appointments. We currently make in excess of 2,000 return trips per year, and this has been made possible by the very generous support of the i98FM Illawarra Convoy and the Illawarra Community Foundation, so we are now able to continue to offer this service.

It's an invaluable service the Cancer Carer volunteers provide as a lot of people who use the service are unable to drive due to medication or treatment and the clients are extremely grateful that they are taken from door to door. Transport can be arranged via Reception at the Cancer Care Centre on 4222 5200.

Now, the Carers need new drivers and thanks to a recent WIN TV segment, they have had quite a few enquiries, according to their President, Narelle Langridge. "Sadly, cancer isn't going anywhere soon, and we are getting more requests each week for patients to get to their appointments”, Narelle said recently. Application forms can be downloaded from their website (illawarracancercarers.org.au)

The volunteers from the Cancer Carers all wear blue shirts and can be found at Wollongong Hospital in the Cancer Care Centre trying to make a patient’s treatment a little easier with a cup of tea. They are also on Ward C7 offering help when needed and at Bulli Palliative Care.

They also have a wheelchair/medical aide hire service, a Lymphoedema clinic and you might have seen the ladies in one of the local shopping malls with their craft stalls.

Please take 5 minutes to look at their website and see what these volunteers do for the people of the Illawarra. This group is 100% local and 100% volunteers and do an amazing job.

After a submission by the Cancer Carers to the Illawarra Community Foundation from funds raised in the i98FM Illawarra Convoy, the group received a $100,000 donation to cover the costs of this program in the region for the next twelve months.

This isn’t the first time Convoy have assisted the Illawarra Cancer Carers. In 2019 Convoy funded the patient transport program, before Covid-19 restrictions meant the program had to cease until restrictions eased. Convoy also funded the purchase of a new 22 seater bus for the patient transport program, and a new Ford Transit van to assist their wheelchair hire program.

Funding information for groups and charities who work with patients with potentially life threatening medical conditions is available on the www.illawarraconvoy.com.au website.