Armagh cancer charity celebrates 10 years of service

Knitted Knockers of Northern Ireland (KKNI) Director Hope Graham speaks to Harry McGoldrick on the difference the charity has made in the local community.

Knitted Knockers of Northern Ireland (KKNI), supports women who are living with breast cancer throughout Northern Ireland, using mediums such as art-based therapy, counselling, and wellness sessions, while creating a sense of community.

Founded in 2016 by Joanne Harris, the charity has gone on to deliver approximately 5,000 breast prosthetics per annum to women who have undergone mastectomy surgeries across Northern Ireland.

Hope Graham explains: “Losing a breast is such an intimate and personal thing which requires compassion and a personal solution. Our free hand-knit prostheses restore comfort, dignity, and confidence after surgery.”

The charities work mainly focuses on improving patient experience; supporting people to live well with and beyond cancer; reduce health inequalities through free, accessible services; and collaboration with the community and voluntary sector.

In April 2026, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA visited the charity, which he called “a wonderful example of volunteers coming together to provide support for those living with breast cancer”.

Graham says that the visit allowed the organisation to voice concerns on behalf of people living with cancer in the Southern Trust and gave them the opportunity to hear how the Department was improving services and waiting times in Northern Ireland.

“We were able to use the meeting to voice our concerns regarding current waiting times for breast diagnostic appointments and surgeries, along with sharing concerns voiced during the Reshaping Breast Assessment Services consultation in 2019,” Graham says.
As of April 2026, breast assessment service waiting times have dropped to five weeks and two days, a reduction from 12 weeks in September 2025.

Minister Nesbitt says: “In addition to medical intervention, the compassionate support from charities like Knitted Knockers is vital, creating a social environment through the Breast Friends Clubhouse, as well as providing mental health and wellbeing assistance.”

As the charity celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2026, Graham says the work would be impossible if not for the volunteers.

Graham says: “What began as a simple act of care has grown into a powerful community built on friendship, compassion, and hope. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our incredible volunteers, whose generosity continues to change lives every single day.”