Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program has reached an incredible milestone, providing 50,000 nights of funded accommodation to young regional Australians with cancer and their families.
Fifty thousand nights of free accommodation is an extraordinary milestone. But for the young regional Australians and families who have accessed Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program, each one represents something much more personal: a place to return to while undergoing cancer treatment far from home.
Since launching in 2020, You Can Stay, delivered in partnership with Quest Apartment Hotels, has provided more than 550 regional families with free accommodation while young people access specialised cancer care in the city.
Delivered in partnership with Quest Apartment Hotels, the program provides free, uncapped accommodation for young Australians aged 15–29 and their families when treatment requires them to travel away from home.
For the one in three young people with cancer who live in regional areas, that support can remove one significant worry during an already incredibly difficult time.
A home base when families need it most
Travelling for cancer treatment can mean much more than getting to and from hospital. Families may find themselves spending extended periods away from their homes, communities and everyday routines while navigating appointments, treatment and recovery.
You Can Stay was created to help ease that burden by giving families somewhere comfortable to stay for as long as they need it.
At Quest, that can mean having the space and privacy to settle in, prepare a meal together or simply close the door at the end of a difficult day. And for the Business Owners and teams welcoming You Can Stay families, providing accommodation is only part of the experience.
The families behind the 50,000 nights
No Quest property has provided more You Can Stay nights than Quest NewQuay.
Franchisee Stacy Andronikos says his team has developed a genuine connection to the program and the families they have welcomed through their doors.
“We’ve learned that sometimes the simplest things can make the biggest difference,” Stacy says. “A warm welcome, recognising a familiar face, being flexible, or simply providing a comfortable place where a family can feel settled and have some normality.”
For Stacy, the 50,000-night milestone is an achievement worth celebrating, but the number only tells part of the story.
“Providing the most You Can Stay nights across the Quest network is a wonderful achievement, but for us it’s not really about the number, it’s about the families behind those nights,” he says.
“Our team understands that these aren’t ordinary stays and they consistently show genuine care, compassion and kindness.”
50,000 nights and a partnership that keeps giving
Quest’s partnership with Sony Foundation is built around a shared belief that where a young person lives shouldn’t create another barrier to accessing the cancer care they need.
Reaching 50,000 nights is an opportunity to recognise more than 550 families who have been supported, alongside the Quest Business Owners and team members who have welcomed them during some of the most challenging periods of their lives.
Anthea Dimitrakopoulos, General Manager Brand, Digital and ESG for The Ascott Limited, says Quest is committed to continuing this important partnership for years to come.
“It goes to the very heart of our Quest for a Cause program, and aligns with the values we have built our brand around,” she says.
“Making families feel at home during the challenging times is an honour we take very seriously at Quest and it is immensely rewarding to know that we can play a small part in lightening the burden of young people dealing with illness.”
And as You Can Stay moves beyond its first 50,000 nights, that remains at the heart of the partnership: helping young people and their families feel a little more at home when cancer treatment takes them away from theirs.
