Mr Tourism’s cancer support vision in desperate need of new funds
Support of cancer sufferers has been an invaluable legacy of the Far North’s original Mr Tourism, but with funding for the COUCH wellness centre drying up the pressure’s on to source new income streams.
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Pip Woodward remembers vividly the day her husband and Far North Queensland’s “Mr Tourism”, Charlie, was diagnosed with cancer.
“I can remember coming out of the doctor’s surgery with Charlie and he’d just been handed this diagnosis, and we got outside and closed the door and said: ‘What do we do now?’
“We were just in shock really,” Ms Woodward said.
If Charlie was Mr Tourism, Pip Woodward is surely the First Lady with the two of them building one of the most recognisable brands in the business, The CapTA Group, which operates wildlife parks, tours and attractions in the Cairns region.
Ironically the pair had been at the forefront of a people movement in the Far North in the decade before his diagnosis, fighting for better oncology services in the region after being inspired by resident and cancer battler Liz Plummer.
In 2006 COUCH, Committee for Oncology Unit Cairns Hospital, was born.
“We started compiling this plan back in 2006,” Ms Woodward said.
“It was when Charlie first wanted to do something about cancer facilities here and it was through Liz Plummer that he started that.”
A groundswell of public support for Liz and COUCH culminated in a massive community march, which ultimately led to Cairns receiving radiation oncology services. The Liz Plummer Cancer Care Centre welcomed its first patient on June 27, 2011.
It was after this success that the idea for a wellness centre was hatched.
“After we had the Liz Plummer centre success, the next wish was Charlie wanted to use that land (off Reservoir Rd) and put what we now have, the COUCH Wellness Centre, on it.
“It opened two years after he died; sadly he didn’t see it come to fruition but he was heavily involved in making it happen before his diagnosis.”
COUCH (now Cairns Organisation United for Cancer Health) Wellness Centre offers integrative oncology, a patient-centred, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilises mind and body practices, natural products, and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional treatments.
It’s something Ms Woodward would have cherished having access to during Charles’ journey.
“All a doctor does is tell you when you’re going to start your treatment, your chemo or whatever it is you’re going to have, but there’s a whole lot of other things you’ve got to take in and take on board.
“That is something now I know people who are just diagnosed can get at COUCH and get that advice and help, and someone to listen to their problems, which we just didn’t have.”
Ms Woodward has stepped away from being on the board but is ever present helping to raise funds and awareness.
“It’s very close to my heart,” she said.
Her son, Michael, is the board’s secretary and while he acknowledges the centre is synonymous with his parents he stresses it goes beyond that.
“I’d like to ensure COUCH isn’t seen as just Charles and Pip’s legacy. While it is, it’s for the community – it’s a bigger picture than that,” Mr Woodward said.
COUCH’s services were about helping people survive cancer and then thrive, he said.
The centre has received federal funding since its opening in 2019 through the North Queensland Primary Health Network, however that will end in March meaning the centre will be 100 per cent reliant on community donations and philanthropic contributions.
The centre is currently conducting a Champions of COUCH Christmas Appeal to raise awareness of their services and to ask those who can, to partner with them.
One person who understands fully that COUCH is more than just a legacy is Ron Holden.
Mr Holden was a lifelong friend of the late Mr Woodward, their friendship harking back to when they were “playing in playpens”.
A staunch advocate of the wellness centre, Mr Holden was the construction project manager and later became a chairman of the board, his contributions honoured with a boardwalk at the facility named in his honour.
“Charles was humble,” Mr Holden said.
“He did it because it had to be done, not because he was thinking of a legacy.”
It was Charles’ passion and focus on finding solutions that drove COUCH in the beginning, Mr Holden said.
The community’s support throughout the organisation’s history is something both Pip and Michael Woodward have been overwhelmed by.
Ms Woodward said there had been some wonderful bequests over the years and donations, including a piano from a dental hygienist, but also thanked all those who had donated that most valuable commodity – their time.
“We are grateful for the PHN’s support for the past five years and understand there are other priorities,” Mr Woodward said.
However, he said the organisation looked forward to working further with state government representatives about their future plans.
If there is one thing the Woodwards want more than anything, it is for those diagnosed with cancer, their families and carers to visit COUCH and find out how it could help them.
Ms Woodward knows what it could have done for her.
“For me, just as Charlie’s carer, I wished I could have gone there and sought some advice and help on that.”
“We want people to give COUCH a go, to ensure that they might have their eyes opened up to something they didn’t know they needed,” Mr Woodward said.
FACTBOX
Help make a difference and become a Champion of COUCH. To find out how you can build a future of comprehensive care for cancer battlers call 4032 0820 or email: champions@couch.org.au
Originally published as Mr Tourism’s cancer support vision in desperate need of new funds
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