Morrisons extends partnership with CLIC Sargent to fund new Home from Home

Morrisons is to extend its national charity partnership with CLIC Sargent for an extra year – until 2021.

Morrisons’ colleagues overwhelmingly supported the move to continue the current three-year agreement with CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading charity for young cancer patients and their families, which has so far raised more than £7million.

The partnership, which has a current fundraising target of £10 million, had been due to end in February 2020. It will now extend to February 2021 with a new target of £13 million.

The additional money raised will fund a new CLIC Sargent Home from Home for young cancer patients and their families in Manchester.

Some families will travel long distances across the UK so that young patients can receive specialist treatment, leaving them facing the huge financial costs of regular travel, or the difficult decision to spend time apart.

CLIC Sargent currently operates 10 Homes from Home which provide free accommodation for young cancer patients and their families during their treatment. The homes’ communal living areas and kitchen provide places for families to relax and be together outside of the hospital.

The partnership has also enabled CLIC Sargent to:

• Give more than 5,000 grants, including a new grant for families struggling to make ends meet and another one for families if their child’s cancer returns.
• Create a brand new nurse educator programme, recruiting expert nursing professionals to work with the NHS, schools and other services, sharing best practice and improving the quality of support for young cancer patients.
• Fund a ‘Home Comforts’ scheme where parents who are not staying in a Home from Home can use it as a daytime base to wash, cook and spend time away from the ward.
• Provide new online support for young people who may have been out of reach, including peer-to-peer network groups.

CLIC Sargent’s Chief Executive, Kate Lee, said: “We are chuffed to bits that Morrisons is extending our partnership. Another year of stellar support from Morrisons’ colleagues and customers will enable us to build essential accommodation in Manchester, creating a lasting legacy of our incredible collaboration.”

Money has been raised with a variety of fundraising initiatives by Morrisons colleagues, including collections and sponsored events, especially around occasions such as the recent World Cancer Day. The partnership has also enjoyed unprecedented success – working with Morrisons’ suppliers through marketing promotions, such as ‘Every Pack Gives Back’, which have raised more than £1 million.

Andy Atkinson, Group Customer and Marketing Director at Morrisons, has visited all 10 existing CLIC Sargent Homes from Home and said: “I’ve been lucky enough to meet families who have been supported by CLIC Sargent and I know the difference these homes make. It’s great that our colleagues have chosen to extend the partnership to create this vital new service.”

Morrisons encourages charities of all sizes to consider applying for a Community Grant from the Morrisons Foundation, which has donated over £25m since it launched in 2015. Local charities are also welcome to contact Community Champions in store, who can support with fundraising opportunities and product donations.

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Aimee Lawless on aimee.lawless@younglivesvscancer.org.uk or call 07771 824 563.

About cancer in children and young people

Today, 12 more children and young people in the UK will hear the devastating news that they have cancer. Treatment normally starts immediately, is often given many miles from home and can last for up to three years. Although survival rates are over 80%, cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the UK.

About CLIC Sargent

When cancer strikes young lives CLIC Sargent helps families limit the damage cancer causes beyond their health. CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading charity for young cancer patients and their families. We provide specialist support, to help and guide each young cancer patient and their family. We will fight tirelessly for them, individually, locally and nationally. For more information, visit www.clicsargent.org.uk

About the Morrisons partnership

Morrisons colleagues chose CLIC Sargent to be its charity partner following a staff vote in January 2017 and have already raised more than £7 million. The initial three year partnership had a target of £10m that will transform the support CLIC Sargent can give to young people facing cancer. The money raised will provide five new nurse educators, who can educate other health, social care and education professionals close to patients’ homes so they don’t need to travel miles for specialist care. It will also fund Home Hubs next to specialist cancer treatment hospitals, so families can take a break from hospital life or do simple things like wash clothes and prepare a meal. The partnership fundraising will also allow CLIC Sargent to extend the grants it offers to families to ease the financial burden of cancer, which sees each family face an average £600 a month in additional costs.

Note to sub editors

Please note that the name ‘CLIC Sargent’ should not be abbreviated to CLIC, and that the word ‘CLIC’ should always appear in capitals, as above.