Cancer charity closures criticised
A teenage cancer charity is to close eight offices around the country, including its branch in Taranaki, with the loss of 17 jobs as it battles severe financial problems, it has been confirmed.
CanTeen offices in Hamilton, Tauranga, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Napier, New Plymouth, Christchurch and Dunedin have closed after the organisation went through a restructure.
The organisation is replacing physical offices with an online portal and a call centre in Australia, which has already opened.
But Taranaki branch members Olivia Madgwick and Josephine Bertelsen-Joyce criticised the switch, which saw the New Plymouth office shut its doors on December 14.
‘‘It’s absolutely rubbish. Honestly, there is no way you can make a proper bond and open up to people over the phone,’’ 18-year-old Bertelsen-Joyce said.
She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2014, and went into remission the same year. But she is still dealing with the after-affects of the treatments and requires the support of CanTeen, which approached her after her diagnosis.
‘‘They actually came up and saw me in the hospital in New Plymouth. They let me know that they were there.’’
She said the face-to-face support with other members of CanTeen helped her through her recovery.
‘‘They’ve sent me to a camp to help me with my feelings. It’s basically a massive counselling thing.
‘‘To have CanTeen just for teenagers, it was quite good.’’ Josephine Bertelsen-Joyce, Taranaki CanTeen branch member
Bertelsen-Joyce said she won’t be using CanTeen again, but will keep in touch with members she had met.
‘‘I personally have a hard time talking to people I don’t know over the phone.’’
Madgwick, 25, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer in 2015, and has been visiting CanTeen ever since. She also criticised the closure and she wanted face-to-face support.
‘‘It doesn’t seem like an easy option even though I have the computer at home.
‘‘It’s not a face to face connection,’’ she said.
‘‘You have to actually know me to understand me.’’
CanTeen New Zealand has partnered with CanTeen Australia to use its resources.
This means although there are still three main hubs, open in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for face-to-face support, it was likely the call centre would remain across the ditch.
‘‘It is very unlikely that it will move completely to NZ as it is not economically viable for most charities in NZ to run a call centre by themselves,’’ CanTeen board chairperson Carol Scholes said in a statement.
‘‘The software, personnel and technical requirements are well beyond most the budgets of most charities. This is why we are partnering with CanTeen Australia so we can tap into their resources.
‘‘In the new year, we will be appointing NZ-based counsellors to work in the online counselling team and the Australian team are being trained in working with New Zealand young people, including Maori and Pasifika.’’
‘‘Honestly, there is no way you can make a proper bond and open up to people over the phone.’’