Commitment to Patients of the Marlies and Herbert Repkow Foundation

The Marlies and Herbert Repkow Foundation supports non-profit organizations, interest groups, and associations in North Rhine-Westphalia that are dedicated to the psychosocial care of cancer patients at Klinikum Bethel. The goal is to strengthen the mental and social well-being of adult and young patients as well as their relatives. Applications can be submitted continuously; grants are awarded for services that promote courage, everyday skills, and networks. The funding focuses on psycho-oncology, social counseling, and leisure activities and is specifically aimed at projects that provide low-threshold and needs-based support in clinical and outpatient settings.

The focus is on collaborations with established partners such as Dr. Clown e.V., which has been providing distraction and joy with hospital clowns since the third quarter of 2023, as well as Pathly e.V., which has been supporting cancer patients and their environment since January 2025 with digital information, mindful tips, and encouraging impulses. The program is complemented by the Treffpunkt OWL of the German Foundation for Young Adults with Cancer, which has been offering regular exchange formats for affected individuals between 23 and 39 years old since April 2025. Through financial support of these initiatives, the foundation contributes to improving the quality of life and cohesion of patients during difficult phases and to establishing sustainable care structures. Interested non-profit actors in the health and social sectors are given the opportunity through a broad range of funding to implement innovative projects aimed at strengthening courage and coping with everyday life.