A VOLUNTEER organisation that provides free transport for cancer patients to and from their treatments is facing an uncertain future due to a lack of volunteers.
Southern Peninsula Cancer Transport Group (SPCTG) was started nearly 40 years ago when Sister Carmel McFaull, from The Sisters of the Good Shepherd Order, saw a young woman struggling with a baby and pram in Sorrento trying to make her way on public transport to Melbourne for breast cancer treatment.
Sr Carmel offered the woman a lift and began driving her to the city. Soon, others began to offer to do the drive and, seeing a need for the service, she began gathering volunteers and SPCTG was born.
“We are facing a problem with getting enough volunteers to keep going,” said Mark Killen, the co-ordinator of the group.
“We’re almost at the point where it is unreasonable to keep asking people in their 80’s to keep doing what they are doing.”
The group services from Portsea to Mornington, picking up patients and taking them to their radiation or chemotherapy treatments.
“Of course, things have changed so much over the nearly 40 years we have been operating,” said Killen.
“At the start, transport tended to be up to the city to places like Peter Mac. Now, we have several high-quality providers of cancer care much closer, so the trips don’t tend to be as far.”
Icon at The Bays, Beleura Hospital, Frankston Public Surgical Centre, Peninsula University Hospital and Peninsula Private all offer cancer treatment services, and Peter Mac has a treatment centre in Moorabbin, negating the need for many of the trips to Melbourne.
“We wouldn’t say no to new drivers, but what we really need are new co-ordinators to manage the bookings and deal with the clients,” said Killen.
“We are really struggling with the administration side of things. It can be quite involved, and you are dealing with people that are going through tough times, so it has become quite a lot of work for the co-ordinators we currently have.”
The nature of having a volunteer organisation with quite a few octogenarians, is that come winter, some of them head north.
“We do struggle for volunteers during the cooler months too,” said Killen.
SPCTG is on the lookout for what Killen describes as “fresh talent” to fill roles, and become committee members to spread out the workload. Failing that, the group will be forced to look at its options, including whether to fold or amalgamate with a service club such as an RSL, Lions or Rotary Club.
Killen, who started as a driver around 15 years ago, and became a co-ordinator around 10 years ago said the role is emotionally engaging but ultimately rewarding.
“We are dealing with patients that are sick, and families that are under a lot of stress. We can ease their burden by offering them transport. Even if they want to sleep on the journey home. We are there to support them”.
Drivers are reimbursed for their fuel costs, and co-ordinators are provided an honorarium for their role. The service is provided at absolutely no costs for the patients.
Anyone interested can contact Southern Peninsula Cancer Transport Group on 0429 624 375 or email spctg87@gmail.com.
First published in the Mornington News – 31 March 2026
