JD Wetherspoon partnership with Young Lives vs Cancer reaches £27 million

Staff and customers at JD Wetherspoon have reached an extraordinary milestone in their long-standing partnership with Young Lives vs Cancer, raising an incredible £27 million to support children and young people with cancer and their families. 

Since 2002, when the partnership began, Wetherspoon pub teams and customers across the UK have gone above and beyond to fundraise for the charity – from raffles and quizzes to football tournaments, mountain climbs and skydives. 

More recently, creative fundraising initiatives have continued to engage customers nationwide. This year saw 30,000 packs of special Young Lives vs Cancer Top Trumps cards and 20,000 J D Wetherspoon Bucket Hats go on sale in Wetherspoon pubs, helping raise vital funds for the charity’s work. 

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Freddie Skarbek, an employee of The Opera House pub in Tunbridge Wells completed an incredible challenge, running from Land’s End to John O’Groats and raising more than £30,000 to support children and young people facing cancer. 

To mark the milestone, a celebration event is taking place at The Opera House in Tunbridge Wells, the Wetherspoon pub that has raised the most money since the partnership passed the £26 million mark. The Opera House has raised an incredible £76,886 since the partnership began. Freddie Skarbek will be in attendance with representatives of J D Wetherspoon and Young Lives Vs Cancer at 11am on Tuesday 15th September. 

Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “JD Wetherspoon staff and customers have shown incredible dedication and generosity over more than two decades of partnership. Their phenomenal £27 million has helped us be there for thousands of children and young people with cancer and their families at the most difficult time in their lives. 

“This support helps fund stays for families in our Homes from Home so they can stay close to their child during treatment, as well as ensuring our specialist social workers can provide the vital emotional, financial and practical support families rely on. 

“We’re so grateful to everyone across JD Wetherspoon for their continued commitment. Every fundraiser, every donation and every initiative has helped us make a real difference. I’d like to say a special thank you to Freddie Skarbek who undertook the most incredible challenge, running more than a marathon a day for 37 days in a row to raise vital funds for young people with cancer, we are so grateful for his support ” 

The hugely successful partnership began with a chance meeting on a train between JD Wetherspoon’s founder and chairman, and the then-CEO of Young Lives vs Cancer more than 20 years ago. What started as a conversation on a train journey has grown into a powerful and purposeful partnership that continues to make a lasting impact for families facing cancer. 

From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer’s specialist social workers provide day-to-day support for each child, young person and family. The charity also provides accommodation close to hospitals where families can stay together during treatment, as well as grants to help families manage the financial impact of cancer. 

John Hutson, Chief Executive of JD Wetherspoon, said:  “We are incredibly proud of the partnership we have built with Young Lives vs Cancer over the past two decades. The £27 million raised is a testament to the generosity of our customers and the enthusiasm and dedication of our pub teams across the UK. 

“Our staff continually come up with imaginative and inspiring ways to raise funds, and it’s fantastic to see initiatives like the Top Trumps cards, Bucket Hats and Freddie’s extraordinary run from Land’s End to John O’Groats helping to support such an important cause. 

“We are grateful to everyone who has contributed and helped make a difference to children and young people with cancer and their families.”