Port of Newcastle grant to bring back free melanoma spot checks in 2026

newy.com.au – Port of Newcastle has awarded the Hunter Melanoma Foundation $20,000 to help return the charity’s free Spot Check skin check clinics to the Hunter in 2026.

The funding is part of the port’s 2025 Your Port, Our Community grants program, announced ahead of the peak summer season as local health groups continue to push sun safety and early detection messages.

Port of Newcastle executive manager corporate affairs Lucas Coleman said the foundation was one of 10 organisations sharing in $100,000 in community grants this year. “While the port and Newcastle may be synonymous with golden sand, sunshine, and glistening waters, unfortunately our region also has a concerningly high rate of melanoma,” Coleman said.

“Safety is in Port of Newcastle’s DNA, and the potentially life-saving work Hunter Melanoma Foundation does to promote sun safety and early diagnosis, particularly through its free skin checks, is something the Port supports wholeheartedly,” he said.

Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, and the disease is the second most diagnosed cancer in the Hunter New England Local Health District.

Hunter Melanoma Foundation executive officer Claudia Tolhurst said the Spot Check program had delivered 2,724 free skin checks since launching in 2020, identifying 503 suspicious spots and detecting 114 suspected melanomas. “If caught early, melanoma has a 90% cure rate, and providing our community with access to early detection remains central to our work,” Tolhurst said.

“As a community-funded organisation, being able to partner with the Port of Newcastle means we can continue delivering our Spot Check program to the Hunter for another year,” she said.

Other 2025 grant recipients include Cerebral Palsy Alliance for an accessible gym fit-out at its new Hunter Disability Centre in Beresfield, Home in Place for Curious Minds STEM workshops at schools in Newcastle, Cessnock, Dubbo and Broken Hill, and the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW for emergency staples, vouchers and Christmas hampers in Maitland and Newcastle.

Funding also went to the Moree & District Historical Society for a portable defibrillator, Cancer Patients Foundation to expand its Look Good Feel Better program, and the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation for free lawn care in Cessnock, Singleton, Muswellbrook and Dungog.

Country Universities Centre North West received support for virtual reality career pathway programs, Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage for public boating and water safety signage, and Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT for therapies, adaptive equipment and wigs in the Newcastle region.

Coleman said the port had received “a large number of quality applications”, adding: “With Christmas around the corner, we’re delighted to continue to support the important work of local organisations across our vast catchment, and we hope this news brings them both festive cheer and some certainty heading into the New Year.”

Port of Newcastle said the grants program has provided more than $1.1 million in funding since it began in 2014, alongside a separate $1 million Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund administered by the NSW Government.