Rosie with her Mum and sister from the Gold Coast (69km from the Queensland Children's Hospital)
When your child is diagnosed with cancer, nothing else matters. Not the house. Not the farm. Not your job. Not the distance. Except distance does matter a lot.
For families in regional and rural Queensland, cancer doesn’t just mean grief and fear. It means packing up your life, leaving your support system, and travelling hundreds – sometimes thousands – of kilometres to Brisbane for treatment. And you have to leave right away.
That’s why we’re building something big.
Introducing the East Brisbane Accommodation Village
Through the Closeness Matters campaign, we are committed to raising $10 million to redevelop our 1,900sqm East Brisbane site into the East Brisbane Accommodation Village, creating 15 long-term family units just 2km from the Queensland Children’s Hospital for families facing childhood cancer.
Not just a place to stay, but a place to breathe, to gather, to cry, to share Vegemite on toast, and to simply be a family. A place of connection, calm, and when needed, consolation.
Because where childhood cancer is concerned, every metre matters. And when 2km is the difference between being too far away – and being right where you need to be, closeness is everything.
Why accommodation is needed here
Over the past decade, Queensland’s paediatric cancer services have been consolidated at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane. Demand for nearby family accommodation has continued to grow, and Childhood Cancer Support’s existing units close to the hospital are regularly full. The East Brisbane Accommodation Village will allow us to support more regional families, closer to the hospital and the care their child needs.
We’re building a place that feels like home
Concept plans for the units have been developed, and Development Approval from Brisbane City Council was obtained in 2023. With an estimated cost of $12 million, Childhood Cancer Support has already committed $2 million to the project. We are currently working on the project drawings to finalise approvals and the projected final costs. The development is expected to take 18 months.
The sooner we raise the funds, the sooner we can kick off the project, and the sooner we can maximise our support for desperate families.
Just like a person’s cancer journey isn’t taken on their own, we can’t complete this project on our own.
Project at a Glance
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Total project cost |
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$12 million |
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CCS investment |
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$2 million |
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Campaign goal |
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$10 million |
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New family units |
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15 |
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Distance from QCH |
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2km |
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Anticipated build |
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18 months |
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Families supported |
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Approximately 60 each year |
“Without knowing what to do, where to go, or what was needed, Trish and her team at Childhood Cancer Support took care of everything… For the next 6 months we called Childhood Cancer Support home. And it truly felt like a home away from home. We walked into our beautifully presented self-contained unit and breathed a sigh of relief”
Simone, mother to Charlie, diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumour (kidney cancer) at 9 years old, from Townsville, more than 1300km from Queensland Children’s Hospital
Danielle and Bailey, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 11 years old from Laidley (85km from Queensland Children’s Hospital)
About Childhood Cancer Support
Childhood Cancer Support was established by regional families in 1975. Today, we provide free, medium to long-term accommodation for families from regional, rural and remote Queensland and northern New South Wales who must relocate to Brisbane while their child receives cancer treatment.
Our support begins with accommodation and extends far beyond it. Families receive:
- A free, fully furnished home away from home, with space for the whole family.
- A place to stay for as long as they need; one week, one month, six months, one year, or even longer.
- Complimentary patient transport services for children and their families.
- Practical, hands-on support services including an Accommodation and Family Support Officer, to help families get through the worst time of their lives.
- A social and supportive community of families who understand the childhood cancer journey.
Cass and Rosie's Story
In life’s darkest moments, Childhood Cancer Support brings families closer. Help us keep them close when it matters most.
“We are so grateful for the support from Childhood Cancer Support.
Without their support, we would be extremely stressed and in a lot of trouble financially. It would probably push us over the edge.
We are dealing with so much already. Childhood Cancer Support has made our lives so much easier by allowing us to be close to the hospital and to focus on Rosie’s treatment.”
Cassandra, mother to Rosie, diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma at age 3 from Gold Coast (69km from Queensland Children’s Hospital)
Leadership
Ann Sherry AO
Campaign Patron
Hon Rob Borbidge AO
Campaign Co Chair
Stuart Love
President
Mark Sanders
Accommodation Village Project Lead
Helen Crew
Campaign Director
Leigh Cleave CFRE
Campaign Advisory
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is more family accommodation needed?
Over the past decade, Queensland’s paediatric cancer services have been consolidated at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane. This has significantly increased demand for nearby family accommodation.
Childhood Cancer Support’s current units close to the hospital operate at capacity, with growing waitlists. The East Brisbane Accommodation Village will enable us to support more regional families close to the care their child needs.
Why is being close to the hospital so important?
Children undergoing cancer treatment may need frequent appointments or urgent hospital care. Staying close reduces exhausting travel, limits exposure to infection and gives parents peace of mind that the hospital is only minutes away.
It also reduces the financial and practical pressures of daily travel, parking and transport, allowing families to focus on their child’s treatment and remain together during an incredibly difficult time.
What will the new village include?
The five existing Queenslander-style houses on the 1,900sqm East Brisbane site will be lifted, extended and reconfigured to create 15 fully furnished, two- and three-bedroom family units across eight buildings.
The village will also include child-friendly indoor and outdoor play spaces, gardens, family BBQ areas and welcoming communal and private spaces where families can connect, gather or take time for themselves.
Where is the project currently up to?
Concept plans have been developed and Development Approval was obtained from Brisbane City Council in 2023. The project team is now progressing the detailed drawings, final approvals and projected construction costs.
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months and will commence once the majority of the required funding has been secured.
How many families will the village support?
The new village will accommodate 15 families at any one time—approximately 60 families each year.
Designed as a lasting investment in regional families, the village is expected to support more than 3,000 families over the next 50 years.
Will you help keep them close?
To make our vision a reality, we are seeking generous philanthropic partners and campaign supporters to join us – people who believe Closeness Matters in life’s darkest moments.
There are many ways you can help bring the East Brisbane Accommodation Village to life. You may be interested in:
- Make a gift
- Explore a funding partnership
- Discuss opportunities for support and advocacy
To discuss how you could be involved, complete the form below and our campaign team will be in touch. Alternatively, contact Helen Crew, Campaign Director, on 0407 643 448.
