A ray of light brought to people living with a cancer diagnosis

“When I was recovering from my second surgery, I fell asleep during an online session, they muted my snoring on Zoom and stayed online so I wouldn’t wake up on my own!”

Jayne from Aberdare has been supported by National Lottery funded project Ray of Light Support from when she was diagnosed with cancer and throughout her surgery, chemotherapy and recovery.

Today, Ray of Light Cancer Support is one of 138 projects in Wales to receive a share of over £5 million in funding thanks to National Lottery players. The grants provided by The National Lottery Community Fund enable organisations like Ray of Light Support to provide vital service for people and their communities.

Welcoming the announcement of their award are staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of Ray of Light in the allotment.

Based in the allotments on the grounds of Cynon Valley Organics in Abercynon, Ray of Light Cancer Support has been awarded a grant of £19,291 to provide horticultural therapy activities for people living with cancer, to improve their health and wellbeing and reduce isolation.

Ray of Light uses social horticultural therapy to provide people living with a cancer diagnosis a chance to engage with nature, find peace, and reduce stress, all while learning new skills.

“There’s more to focus on than cancer. There’s always a project to think of!” says Jayne, confirming the charity’s mission to enhance the well-being of the people benefitting from the project through practical assistance, emotional support, and meaningful activities. By fostering a sense of community, they help people regain a sense of normality, cope with their diagnosis or grief, and navigate difficult conversations with loved ones.

Established in 2009, Ray of Light Cancer Support provides emotional and practical support to people affected by cancer, as well as their families and carers. Starting as a small community-based initiative, it has grown significantly, thanks to increasing awareness, partnerships, and critical funding.

Initially focused on a few local groups, Ray of Light expanded to offer several weekly support groups, telephone befriending services, family events such as Halloween and Christmas parties, and specialised projects that cater to the emotional and practical needs of the community.

Integrating horticultural therapy into cancer support makes Ray of Light a unique provider in south east Wales.

Chris, an IT Technician, was referred by his GP, and has been travelling from Pencoed to attend the weekly groups for the last two years.

“I’ve lost multiple family members to cancer. My sister, my father, grandparents. I had a breakdown, and my GP referred me to Ray of Light. You’re with likeminded people, you can relate to others. You don’t have to talk, you can just listen. They’re like a second family to me!”

Sue Norris, Founder and CEO, said: “The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund has been a lifeline. It’s enabled us to expand and reach more people and offer a wider variety of programmes to those affected by cancer. Without this crucial funding, many of our support groups and events simply wouldn’t exist, leaving a gap in support for many families who rely on our free services.”

Andrew Owen, Head of Funding at The National Lottery Community Fund in Wales, said: “Ray of Light Cancer Support is a fantastic example of a project dedicated to their community and the numerous environmental advantages of being in nature. The staff and volunteers are the roots of the charity with the wellbeing of the beneficiaries a priority in everything they do. As a fund, we want communities to be more environmentally sustainable, and Ray of Light’s approach to providing horticultural therapy is a great reminder to us of the various positive outcomes of being environmentally aware.”

Ray of Light represents all four of The National Lottery Community Fund’s key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people and enable people to live healthier lives.

See more information of the awards made.

For all funding available from The National Lottery Community Fund visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/wales

Date published: 3 October, 2024
Region: Wales

Notes to Editors

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with government to distribute vital grants and funding from key government programmes and initiatives.

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute over £600 million a year through 13,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.