A dream comes true
Family’s health hub vision nears reality
WORKS on Cairns’ new $3 million cancer care centre will begin as early as next week.
An official sod turning ceremony was held at the site of the COUCH Wellness Centre in Manoora yesterday.
It marked the end of the late Charles Woodward and his wife Pip’s decade-long dream to provide a holistic service hub for cancer sufferers.
The family donated a 2.5 hectare property on Reservoir Rd in 2008 but it wasn’t until the confirmation of $1.5 million from the Australian Government and a $500,000 donation from Hand Heart Pocket (The Charity of Freemasons Queensland) this year that the project could fully get under way.
COUCH secretary and son of Charles, Michael Woodward, said works would go ahead “very quickly now” in time for the scheduled April 2019 opening.
“Things have progressed ahead of schedule,” he said.
“It was a more sweet than bitter moment for the family. “Dad would be beaming.” COUCH chairman Ron Holden said a range of fundraisers, donors, volunteers and supporters from across the community had helped.
“Every COUCH event and every private fundraising event over many years has been extremely well supported which demonstrates the level of public awareness and understanding of the need for what COUCH stands for,” he said.
“I am proud and consider myself privileged to be leading the COUCH board in delivering on the legacy of my lifelong friend and mate Charlie. We are determined to continue to write this great story and to operate the centre on a social enterprise not for profit basis.”
The COUCH Wellness Centre will provide cancer sufferers allied health services and complementary therapies such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, music therapy, exercise classes, in addition to their clinical treatment elsewhere.