Canteen Australia

Canteen Australia Life-changing support for young people impacted by cancer. (ABN: 77 052 040 516 We get it. Canteen is the game changer. That’s how Canteen is the difference.

Just when life should be full of possibilities, cancer crashes into a young person’s world and shatters everything. We help young people cope with cancer in their family. Through Canteen, they learn to explore and deal with their feelings about cancer, connect with other young people in the same boat and if they’ve been diagnosed themselves, we provide specialist, youth-specific treatment teams. By feeling understood and supported, young people develop resilience and can rebuild the foundations that crumbled beneath them when cancer turned their life upside down.

Today we’re sharing part 2 of Andy’s story, as told by her mother, Pam. As her illness progressed, Andy could no longer ...
10/09/2026

Today we’re sharing part 2 of Andy’s story, as told by her mother, Pam.

As her illness progressed, Andy could no longer go out to see her Canteen friends for coffee, so they started coming to her.

When the time came, she asked to go back to respite. She knew she wasn’t coming home. Walking through the house, she said goodbye to the little things – her hairbrush, the shower, the towels.

“I realised then that she also knew she was not going to be with us for much longer,” says Pam.

In her final days in hospital, Andy asked to call her Canteen friends and invite them to her birthday. She made it a few days later. Everyone came, held her hands and sang happy birthday.

“As we finished I said, ‘okay sweetie, you can go now.’ Her eyes flickered and her hand gave a little squeeze. She then lapsed into the life-ending coma and slipped away.”

Thirty years on, her mother carries her memory, and a message for anyone walking this road: “Remember, as hard as a day is, the smile can work wonders.”

Pam is choosing to leave a gift in her will to Canteen, to help ensure other young people facing cancer have that same sense of belonging that Canteen gave Andy. Thank you, Pam. 💚 It’s Include A Charity Week – if you’d like to leave a gift to Canteen in your Will, please visit https://bit.ly/4zHalG3

Thirty years ago, Pam lost her daughter Andy to breast cancer. Today, she's sharing Andy’s story with us to honour her m...
09/09/2026

Thirty years ago, Pam lost her daughter Andy to breast cancer. Today, she's sharing Andy’s story with us to honour her memory, and the place Canteen held in their lives.

“It hit us and the family like a bombshell. We all thought of breast cancer being something nannas, aunties and other older ladies get."

But cancer didn't stop Andy from living, and she didn't face it alone. She became a regular at Canteen events, attending a Harley Davidson bike ride, sailing for the first time, and having regular coffee catch ups with Canteen friends whenever she could. She experienced new things alongside other young people who understood what she was going through.

That’s what Canteen is all about. Reminding young people impacted by cancer that they’re more than cancer, and that they’re never alone.

That’s why Pam is leaving a gift in her will to Canteen – to help ensure other young people facing cancer can access the same experiences and support that meant so much to Andy. This Include A Charity Week, if you’d like to leave a gift in your Will to Canteen, please visit https://bit.ly/4zHalG3

Tomorrow, we'll share the final chapter of Andy’s story. It will stay with you. 💚

08/09/2026

This Women's Health Week, Do It Anyway.

The small healthy habits can be the first to slip when you're impacted by cancer. But looking after yourself isn't selfish. Especially when life gets hard.

A walk. Time with friends. Reaching out for support. Eating something nutritious. Whatever it looks like for you, it all counts.

Whether it's your own diagnosis or someone you love, what's one small thing you're doing to look after yourself this week?

Father's Day can feel different when your dad has passed away from cancer. This is the story of Canteen Youth Ambassador...
05/09/2026

Father's Day can feel different when your dad has passed away from cancer.
This is the story of Canteen Youth Ambassador, Jag.

"Father's Day is always a difficult time for me. Watching other people celebrate the day with their dads is hard to watch, and can bring up feelings of jealousy or feeling like things are unfair."

Some traditions have changed shape rather than disappeared.
"Sometimes I will buy a Phantom comic, my father used to collect them and I would buy them for him whenever I saw them, so it's a nice way to remember him."

What's helped Jag most is connection with other young people who understand this particular kind of loss.

"My friends I've made at Canteen have really helped me through a lot of difficult times, and being able to talk to those friends when Father's Day is hard can make a world of difference. I'm able to help support them too, and we can share memories about our dads with each other."

Today, we're thinking of everyone for whom this day carries grief instead of celebration. If you know someone in this situation, a little check-in can go a long way.

Canteen exists so no young person has to face their grief without support. 💚

This International Day of Charity, we wanted to say thank you. 💚 These are real examples of impact, seen firsthand by ou...
04/09/2026

This International Day of Charity, we wanted to say thank you. 💚

These are real examples of impact, seen firsthand by our clinicians and services staff who work closely with young people every day. None of it happens without the support of our generous donors, fundraisers, and volunteers. 💙

Want to keep this impact going? Get involved in Bandanna Day: https://bit.ly/bandannaday-26-facebook

"Father's Days are hard because it makes my grief feel so much stronger. I just miss my dad so much and I will never be ...
04/09/2026

"Father's Days are hard because it makes my grief feel so much stronger. I just miss my dad so much and I will never be able to talk to him or hug him or ask him random questions ever again."

Our Youth Ambassador Theo shares how this time of year can feel when you’ve lost your dad to cancer.

Where celebration used to be, there's now a different kind of ritual.
"Now instead of giving my dad presents and a nice dinner my family goes and visits his memorial."

But Theo’s also found their own ways to cope, leaning on family and connection with others who understand.

"To help cope with Father’s Day I spend time with my family and do an activity he liked such as going for a bushwalk. I also talk with other young people I’ve met through Canteen who have also lost their father."

If you know a young person carrying grief like this, check in on them over the next few days. And if that's you, hear this from someone who understands: "I would want them to know that they aren't alone, there are people like me who get it."

Canteen Connect gives young people a space to talk with others who truly get it. And our free counselling supports them through the days that feel too heavy to carry alone. 💚

This Lymphoma Awareness Month, we're highlighting Tara's story. Tara’s treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 18 was i...
03/09/2026

This Lymphoma Awareness Month, we're highlighting Tara's story.

Tara’s treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 18 was intense: chemotherapy every two weeks for six months.

"They say it's a treatable cancer but it's treatable because of the harshness of the chemotherapy. They call it the red devil."

She lost her hair and 30kg, then put 50kg back on. She was offered fertility preservation but couldn't go through with the invasive procedure, and treatment brought on early menopause at just 18.

"I cried about potentially losing my option to become a mother, which was my entire life prophecy."

Cancer treatment doesn't just affect the body. It can affect a young person’s future, and that’s why Canteen’s tailored and ongoing support is vital.

Clara ran the Sydney Marathon last weekend, smashing the distance and becoming our top fundraiser in the process, raisin...
02/09/2026

Clara ran the Sydney Marathon last weekend, smashing the distance and becoming our top fundraiser in the process, raising over $6,000 to support young Aussies impacted by cancer.

Here's why it means so much to her:

"I was 4 when I lost my mum to cancer. I was 26 when I lost my Dad, suddenly and also to cancer. Losing both parents so early is something you never expect, and it shapes the way you navigate life in ways that stay with you forever.

Growing up like this is unique, and can feel isolating. Moments and milestones you expect to share with your parents, you end up navigating alone. Watching someone close to you pass, explaining to my daughter why my parents and her grandparents are not here, for support when you have your own child, missing that person should you walk down the aisle, or simply not having that unconditional presence at the end of the phone."

Clara describes Canteen's services as "exactly the kind of support I wish I'd had growing up."

Clara - thank you for sharing your story, for your incredible effort and for supporting other young Aussies impacted by cancer. 💚

Sydney Marathon: 7 legends, $21k raised5am alarms in the middle of winter, blisters that don't heal before the next long...
01/09/2026

Sydney Marathon: 7 legends, $21k raised

5am alarms in the middle of winter, blisters that don't heal before the next long run is due and weekend sacrifices while everyone else rests.

That's what it took 7 incredible individuals to line up at the Sydney Marathon last weekend, and together they raised a whopping $21,496 to support young Aussies impacted by cancer.

Thank you to Clara, River, Robert, Harrison and Emma, and our very own staff members Chris and Raul, for pushing through months of hard training to take on 42.2km for young people impacted by cancer.

Your effort will help a young person access counselling, connection and support when cancer turns their world upside down.
From all of us at Canteen, thank you. 💚

From selling bandannas in the playground to teachers joining in on the fun, Bandanna Day turns the whole school into a s...
31/08/2026

From selling bandannas in the playground to teachers joining in on the fun, Bandanna Day turns the whole school into a sea of colour for a great cause. Every bandanna sold helps fund Canteen's support for young Australians impacted by cancer. If your child's school hasn't signed up yet, now's the time. Head to the link to register: https://bit.ly/bandannaday-26-facebook

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