Shayne Connell
The new Charlestown office.
A POPULATION boom in Lake Macquarie has prompted the Cancer Council to relocate its Hunter office.
The new Hunter Region office, located on the Pacific Highway at Charlestown, has easier access and better parking.
Cancer Council regional manager Shayne Connell believes Charlestown is the new CBD of the Hunter.
He said Charlestown was a better area than Broadmeadow for patients and carers to receive the charity's information and support.
"As a charity, we wanted to lift our profile in the Hunter," he said.
"A lot more people live in Charlestown, so it made sense for us to be where the people are," Mr Connell said.
He also believed many people were not aware of the full range of local services provided by the Cancer Council.
The services include transport to treatment, financial assistance and a wide range of information in printed, online and audiovisual mediums.
The Hunter office has further extended its services to the community with a new meeting space and volunteer work areas.
The new meeting space is open to the community to run support groups and training for health professionals and service providers.
The Hunter office is in need of more volunteers, as volunteer-driven research and campaigning is the backbone to this local, non-government funded organisation.
"We're looking to have the Hunter office run by volunteers from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday," Mr Connell said.
■ The Hunter Cancer Council office is now located at Unit C102, Level 1, 215 Pacific Highway.