About CanTeen
Who we are
CanTeen - The Australian Organisation for Young People Living with Cancer - is a national support organisation for 12 - 24 year olds who are living with cancer, and is the only organisation of its kind in Australia.
A cancer diagnosis is traumatic at the best of times, but perhaps even more so for a young person. At this stage of their lives they will already be experiencing issues relating to their identity, independence, relationships and career; and whilst cancer is not a death sentence, it can mean the start of a long process of painful treatment and years of uncertainty.
The inspiration behind CanTeen is the belief that young people are better able to cope with the uncertainties of a cancer diagnosis through meeting and talking with other young people who have had a similar experience and understand exactly what they are going through.
Since it began, CanTeen has had a clear focus on meeting the needs of young people living with cancer, and has always put into practice the idea that Members should be able to participate in the management of the organisation. This commitment ensures that we remain true to our mission and can continually be in touch with the needs of our Members.
What we do
CanTeen's mission is to support, develop and empower young people living with cancer. We do this by providing an Australia-wide peer support network for 12 to 24 year-olds, who include*:
- Patients - young people who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Siblings & Offspring - young people who have an immediate family member (brother, sister, parent or primary carer) who has been diagnosed with cancer; and
- Bereaved Siblings & Offspring - young people who have had an immediate family member die from cancer.
We provide Members with a place where they can simply be young people, away from the day-to-day pressures that come from living with cancer in the hospital or at home.
Through a wide range of camps and programs, CanTeen encourages Members to share their experiences, make great friends...and of course, have fun!
*Young people who don't quite fit these descriptions might still be able to join - please contact us for more information.
Our vision
Our vision is to bring together all young people living with cancer.
Our mission
Our mission is to support, develop and empower young people living with cancer.
Our values
In summary (the short version)
We support, develop and empower our Members through:
- Respect and integrity
- Pride and accountability
- Teamwork and inclusiveness
- Flexibility and initiative
- Understanding and compassion
- Inspiration and encouragement
- Positivity and celebration
What that means for you (the long version)
We support, develop and empower our Members through:
- Respect and integrity - We value the intrinsic worth of each person. We respect individuality and value differences. We are honest and true to others. We don't compromise our values - we act with sincerity and we are true to ourselves.
- Pride and accountability - We seek are committed to excellence in what we do. When we say we will do something, we do it. We take responsibility for outcomes and for our actions and their outcomes.
- Teamwork and inclusiveness - We share the load, and openly communicate by sharing ideas, knowledge, feelings and perceptions.We involve others in what we are doing, to develop and broaden the perspectives of the group, and to achieve stronger outcomes.
- Flexibility and initiative - We commit to new ideas, and we look for reasons to promote them. We create room for innovative thoughts to grow. We learn from our mistakes and our successes.
- Understanding and compassion - We put ourselves in the other's shoes. We are considerate and respectful. We do not seek or provide pity, but on occasion we can support each other by being there.
- Inspiration and encouragement - We realise the potential of ourselves and others. We create a safe and positive environment where, together, we can have a go and face new challenges. Through the strength of others we also grow.
- Positivity and celebration - We continually seek the bright side. We enjoy what we do and the people we do it with. We reflect on our achievements, and we share success