CANCER Care is to open a new centre in the heart of Barrow.

The charity, which provides free therapy for residents affected by cancer and bereavement, will be cutting the ribbon at its new renovated Duke Street centre on September 1.

The opening marks an expansion for CancerCare in the Furness area, saying 'a significant increase' in the number of clients it serves meant it had 'outgrown' its base at Trinity Church on Warwick Street.

It opened at Trinity Church in January 2017. The centre was then predicted to have around 65 referrals - however, the charity says 'more than double that number' came through its doors. Prior to lockdown, the Barrow centre had provided therapy for around 430 local people in just over three years.

Besides offering counselling and complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, the Barrow centre will also offer accessible gym sessions, swimming and group activities - including art, jewellery making and pilates.

The Duke Street centre has been revamped with purpose-designed and furnished therapy rooms, meeting areas and a specially-equipped children’s play therapy room.

It had been scheduled to open earlier this year however, this was postponed due to necessary closure of all CancerCare centres following the Covid-19 outbreak. The charity has continued to support clients over the telephone, via online platforms like Zoom and by providing an essential medication delivery service.

Cancer Care CEO, Maria Chambers, said: “Since we opened our first centre in the town, we’ve gone from strength-to-strength both in the numbers of people we have helped y78and the increased range of our service provision.

“We were extremely limited in terms of space at Trinity but at Duke Street we’ll have additional rooms which will enable us to see even more people.”

Linda Rollinson from Walney Island is one of the Barrow centre’s volunteer receptionists who has used CancerCare services after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has also accessed bereavement counselling services following the loss of her mother.

Ms Rollinson said: “Trinity had a lovely, intimate feel to it but it was quite small and tucked away off the main road.

“Being at Duke Street in the town centre we’ll be much more in the public eye which will help us spread the word to a whole new audience who maybe hadn’t heard of CancerCare before but could benefit from our services.”

For more information about the range of services and support available from CancerCare, call 03330 150 628 email CancerCareCan@cancercare.org.uk, text: 07860 018 278, or visit: www.cancercare.org.uk.