The Amara Centre was born from lived experience.

Following a diagnosis of bilateral breast cancer and a treatment journey in the United Kingdom, our founder became increasingly aware of the many practical, emotional and financial pressures that can accompany a cancer diagnosis. Alongside the illness itself, there are often everyday burdens that affect wellbeing, dignity, treatment experience and quality of life.

Throughout treatment, she experienced compassionate and high-quality care through the NHS and developed a deep appreciation for the importance of timely access to medical support during such a vulnerable period. This experience also brought a growing awareness that cancer journeys are not experienced equally across different contexts.

Originally from Ghana and remaining closely connected to the country, she became increasingly conscious of differences in access to care, financial pressure, and the wider experience of cancer treatment. While some individuals are able to access and afford the care they need, others face significant financial barriers that can place additional strain on an already difficult journey.

This reality became deeply personal on the very day she received her NHS prescription exemption card.

On that same day, someone she knew in Ghana who had also been affected by cancer contacted her seeking financial help to purchase treatment medication. The individual was unaware that our founder herself was undergoing cancer treatment, as she had chosen to keep her diagnosis private and had shared it with only a small number of people.

The contrast was impossible to ignore.

While receiving treatment without the burden of prescription costs, she was confronted with the reality that elsewhere, people facing cancer may also be navigating uncertainty about whether they can afford the care they need.

Wanting to understand more, she began exploring the experiences of cancer patients in Ghana and was deeply moved by what she learned — accounts of financial hardship, delayed or interrupted treatment, and the difficult decisions individuals and families are sometimes forced to make when access to care is closely tied to ability to pay.

She became increasingly aware that financial barriers can affect treatment pathways and place profound pressure on patients during an already vulnerable time. She was also deeply affected by the loss of privacy and dignity that may arise when individuals feel compelled to publicly seek financial assistance in order to access care.

The thought of carrying the burden of cancer while also fearing the inability to afford treatment — and the impact this has on patients, families and communities — left a lasting impression.

Feeling profoundly grateful for the care and support she had received, our founder resolved that if she survived treatment and regained her health, she would do what she could to help.

The Amara Centre was established from that resolve.

Our mission is to provide practical and wellbeing-focused support to people affected by cancer, responding to lived experience needs across different contexts. Support is primarily directed toward addressing financial and access-related challenges faced by patients in Ghana, while also recognising and responding to important gaps in recovery, wellbeing and dignity within the United Kingdom.

Alongside this, The Amara Centre is committed to advocacy, awareness and lived-experience engagement — bringing together support and advocacy to help strengthen cancer awareness, dignity and the overall patient experience.