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WORLD CANCER DAY
4 FEBRUARY 2024

From the moment of diagnosis, our child specialist social workers work hard to make sure young cancer patients and their families have the basics, like access to benefits, safe housing and sufficient mental health support. Basics which should be provided straight away. For everyone. 

Children and young people with cancer deserve better from the systems  around us. Together, let’s make change happen this World Cancer Day. 

WORLD CANCER DAY
4 FEBRUARY 2024

From the moment of diagnosis, our child specialist social workers work hard to make sure young cancer patients and their families have the basics, like access to benefits, safe housing and sufficient mental health support. Basics which should be provided straight away. For everyone. 

Children and young people with cancer deserve better from the systems  around us. Together, let’s make change happen this World Cancer Day. 

It's time for change

Young Lives vs Cancer Social Workers stop at nothing to make sure children and young people with cancer get the right care and support, at the right time.  

It isn’t easy. And it’s made even harder by the systems and policies around us.  

Because the unique needs of children and young people with cancer aren’t recognised. So just making sure they have the basics takes time. But as time goes on, debt piles up and savings are wiped out. Day-to-day struggles become unmanageable, and the emotional toll leaves lasting damage.  

From the moment of diagnosis, our social workers work hard to make sure young cancer patients and their families have grants to help with the costs that come with cancer. They navigate the complexities of the benefits system and jump through hoops so that children and young people with cancer get the support they deserve. Support which should be provided straight away. For everyone.  

Children and young people with cancer deserve better. Together, we will make change happen.  

 

Have your say

If you had the power to make one change to the systems around us, for children and young people with cancer, what would it be? 

Would you like to see better mental health support? A travel fund for families who live hundreds of miles from hospital? Improved support for children missing out on education?

By clicking the button below and sharing your thoughts, you’ll be showing children and young people with cancer that they have someone stood in their corner, ready to help improve the future. You’ll be letting them know that they matter. That they deserve more.

Share your change

Why change matters this World Cancer Day

Mphango on why change matters

A chat with Mphango

“I want to see better financial support, designed for families of children and young people with cancer. This support should go beyond medical expenses and include essentials like transportation, accommodation, and crucially, non-medical expenses such as counseling, educational support, high-quality wigs, and accommodating changes in the body.”

Find out what positive change looks like to Mphango

Gideon's story

Lauren’s thoughts on change

There are many changes that need to happen for children and young people with cancer. I’d like to see a commitment from each UK government to address the unique needs of children and young people with cancer, and for a Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan to be put in place. Because I believe we can make more change when there’s a good plan to follow.”

Read Lauren’s full blog

Laying a foundation for positive change

We’re committed to improving the future for children and young people with cancer and their families. But for this to happen, we need a solid foundation of evidence to drive meaningful change. So we’ve been listening to the people who really matter in all this. Children, young people and their families. They’ve told us what they need from the people and systems around them, and how cancer has impacted their quality of life and well-being.  

We’ve published a number of insightful reports and collected evidence through our Cancer Care Survey. And we’ve already been campaigning on some of these issues, but there’s much more to be done. Now it’s time to build on this foundation. To make real change.   

We know what children and young people with cancer need, and over the next year we’ll be calling on our supporters, colleagues, charity partners and children and young people with cancer and their families, to help make change happen together.  

Our campaigning work