The six ways we help
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we help families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them.
We know everyone's different, so we work hard to provide support that’s easy to access and meets individual needs. We shape the work we do around six core principles.

When the doctor says cancer
“It’s like you’re in a bubble and you’re screaming but no one hears.” Those first days, weeks and months after a cancer diagnosis are overwhelming, when young cancer patients are confused, scared and anxious. From the moment of diagnosis, we’re there and ready to help families cope.
Our social workers are experts in helping families handle the day-to-day challenges that come with a child’s cancer diagnosis. They work in all the main children’s cancer hospitals. They work closely with doctors, nurses and other NHS professionals as an integral part of the team caring for children with cancer. Young Lives vs Cancer Social Workers are different to other social workers. They’re there to help because of a child’s cancer, and to make sure families get the support they need throughout treatment.
Day to day support

Cancer costs
As if a cancer diagnosis isn’t tough enough, the financial impact of cancer can be devastating. Our latest figures show that parents can spend almost £700 more every month when their child has cancer. Lots of travel for treatment, hotels, extra heating costs at home. It soon adds up, causing further anxiety and worry.
Young Lives vs Cancer care teams work with young people and families to help them get essential financial support. We arrange Young Lives vs Cancer grants and help them get the benefits and other support they’re entitled to. We also help liaise with young people’s employers and sort out housing issues to keep families together, because day-to-day life doesn’t stop when you have cancer.
Get financial support
There’s no place like home
Our Homes from Home are a free place for families to stay when their child is going through cancer treatment. They’re close to principal treatment centres, helping families avoid the extra financial burdens of travel, accommodation and food costs. They also allow young cancer patients to be close to their loved ones, keeping the family together at a difficult time.
Our Homes from Home
We help them thrive, not just survive
Cancer shatters young cancer patients’ education, social lives and future prospects. They need support not just to survive cancer but to finish treatment with their future in their grasp. We help them get their lives back on track, both during and after treatment.
Our team of professionals work with children and young people to limit the damage of cancer. We support young cancer patients emotionally – building their resilience so they can continue to learn, regain their confidence and be inspired to think beyond cancer. We work with schools on a child or young person’s behalf, helping them keep in touch with friends, organising work at home so they don’t fall behind and helping schools prepare for when a child goes back to school.
For teens and young adults
When a child dies
Hearing your child isn’t going to get better is every parent’s worst nightmare. We help young cancer patients and families prepare for death, if the unthinkable happens. We encourage them to think about how the child or young person can be remembered and help them deal with their worries. Our care teams provide bereavement support through home visits, local support groups and memory days. We do this to help children, young people and their families find a way to cope with the emotional pain.
Bereavement support
Making change happen
Too often, young cancer patients and their families don’t get the support they need from the government. We listen to them, basing our research and campaigning on what they tell us to ensure we make the right change happen. And then we fight on their behalf. We do this through extensive research and by campaigning for policy change in the things which matter most to them. We raise awareness of children and young people’s experiences and champion their voices to politicians and decision makers across the UK.
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What we do
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we help families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them.
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