East Anglian housebuilder, Denbury Homes makes £5,000 donation to help Star Throwers Cancer Support Centre increase its counselling service.
Established in 2008, Star Throwers in Wymondham offers free information sessions, counselling, nutrition, lymphedema support, complementary therapies, group classes, discussions and activities for cancer patients and their families.
Delivering over 300 counselling sessions to 197 individuals in 2023, the centre is seeing demand grow and currently has a waiting list. The grant from Denbury Homes will help fund around 200 sessions over the coming months.
Team members from Denbury Homes recently visited the charity to meet some of the Star Throwers staff including counsellor Yasmin Fryer and nurse Tina Hales and to find out more about the support centre.
Speaking during the visit, Victoria Pigg, Operations and Fundraising Manager at Star Throwers said: “This grant is fantastic news and will make a significant impact on the number of sessions we can offer with our specialist counsellors. As well as supporting patients throughout their journey we understand the impact that a cancer diagnosis and treatment can have on the entire family so offer counselling for them too.”
Joshua Hopkins of the Denbury Charitable Fund and Land Director at Denbury Homes said: “The service that Star Throwers offers to cancer patients provides a huge amount of comfort to them and their families. Speaking to Yasmin, Tina, and Beverley – one of the service users they support – it’s plain to see the compassion and positivity that runs through the whole team. We are delighted our grant will allow Star Throwers to provide even more counselling sessions over the coming year.”
Alongside counselling from specialist providers, the centre offers information sessions for people to understand their diagnosis and treatment options, lymphedema and nutrition clinics and activities such as crafts, exercise classes and support groups.
Victoria continues: “We aren’t linked to a specific hospital, so our users are referred to us by GPs, cancer nurses, other charities and through word of mouth. We can also provide online counselling sessions for those unable to come into the centre in person.
“The centre is a warm and welcoming space where people can enjoy time with others in similar circumstances. A lot of our patients return as volunteers and many of our services such as reflexology and massage are provided for free by local therapists. We can also signpost patients to other charities or support services if they need advice and help with wider challenges.”
The grant was facilitated by Norfolk Community Foundation with Sara Herschel-Shorland from the foundation also joining the visit. Speaking ahead of the event, Jo Maddocks, Programme Advisor for Norfolk Community Foundation said: “Denbury Homes has a long commitment to supporting local charities and groups, so we are delighted to have helped them understand the needs of Star Throwers and the impact that a grant could have on their services.”
Joshua continues: “It’s been fantastic to visit Star Throwers today. The fact that this charity has a volunteer body of over 40 people is testament to the amazing atmosphere we’ve felt today and the impact the centre has on the lives of so many. Denbury Homes works hard to build communities alongside our homes and developments. Supporting services such as Star Throwers is an important part of that commitment, and we are proud to be contributing to the work of this outstanding local charity.”
