The Hunter Melanoma Foundation is on a mission to reduce mortality rates of melanoma through support, research, and education about prevention and early detection.
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For over 35 years, the Hunter Melanoma Foundation has been dedicated to reducing melanoma mortality rates through community education, patient support, local research and life-saving awareness initiatives.
Our mission is to defeat melanoma—a preventable and curable disease if caught early. With consistently high diagnosis rates in our region, we’re driven to act. It’s a lofty mission but one of hope that keeps us focussed and motivated.
We rely on the support of our community to continue our work. There are many ways you can get involved—whether you donate, become a member, or volunteer at our events, every contribution helps us raise awareness, fund vital programs, and make a real impact.
At HMF, we’re here to help you. We’re a local organisation supporting local people, and our mission is to defeat melanoma.
While we proudly support vital local research and clinical trials through the Newcastle Melanoma Unit, Hunter Medical Research Institute, and the University of Newcastle, research is just one part of what we do.
We know melanoma is preventable and highly treatable when caught early. That’s why education, awareness, and early detection are at the heart of our work. By empowering our community with knowledge and encouraging regular skin checks, we’re working to reduce the number of lives lost to melanoma each year.
Research into the causes, prevention, early detection, and treatment of melanoma has played a crucial role in improving outcomes for patients. Since 1988, the Hunter Melanoma Foundation has proudly supported local research efforts aimed at advancing knowledge, enhancing treatment options, and ultimately saving lives.
Together, through education, support, and research, we can change the future of melanoma.
The Hunter Melanoma Foundation (HMF) became an Incorporated Association on 16 May 1988. It was originally established to provide both moral and financial support to the Newcastle Melanoma Unit, then located at Wallsend Hospital.
Today, HMF is a registered charity governed by a voluntary Management Committee elected by its members. Our income is generated entirely through memberships, donations, fundraising efforts, and community grants.
These vital funds are now invested into a range of initiatives including patient support, research, education, awareness programs, and continued backing of the Newcastle Melanoma Unit.
HMF plays a significant role in supporting melanoma patients and their families across the Hunter region. Our ultimate goal is to prevent, detect, and defeat melanoma through community education, early detection initiatives, research, and improved access to care.
For 35+ years, the Hunter Melanoma Foundation has been raising vital funds through community support and fundraising events.
Thanks to people like you—who show up, donate, and get involved—we’re making a real difference in the fight against melanoma. Every ticket purchased, every raffle entered, and every dollar raised helps fund life-saving education programs, early detection initiatives, patient support, and local research.
Check out our upcoming events and see how you can get involved. Together, we can defeat melanoma.
With your help, over the past 35+ years, we’ve been working to defeat melanoma—and we know the work we’re doing is making a real difference. But there’s still much more to do.
In the Hunter New England Local Health District, melanoma is now the second most diagnosed cancer (Cancer Institute NSW, February 2024), underscoring the urgent need for continued awareness, early detection, and prevention.
Nationally, melanoma remains the most common cancer among Australians aged 20 to 39. Your donation and ongoing support allow us to continue this life-saving work—funding education programs, supporting patients, and advancing research to reduce the impact of melanoma in our community.
