Your voice

We know children, young people and parents with lived experience of cancer are the best people to guide and shape the work we do. Your voices allow us to ensure that everything we do as a charity – from the way we speak about cancer, to the shaping of our strategy – is informed by the lived experience of those we support.

Our Voice Hub and Voice Board

This year’s Voice Board recruitment is now open! We’re looking to grow the team so we can hear different perspectives.

Find out more about joining the Voice Board

What can Voice offer me?  

We know that engagement in Voice opportunities has significant benefits for children, young people and families. These include, the development of new skills and experiences, increased wellbeing and confidence, and the sense of purpose that comes from being heard and empowered to take action. Voice activities also provide the opportunity to connect with others affected by cancer and hear their ideas, working together to create positive change. 

There are three different types of opportunity at Young Lives vs Cancer:  

  • One off: for example, speaking in parliament, taking part in a focus group or being part of the recruitment panel when we hire new staff  
  • Projects: as part of a short term group, taking part in project meetings and workshops to develop new pieces of work such as our campaigns   
  • Programmes: taking part in structured, long term opportunities such as our Voice Board or Content Creators  

Our approach to Voice  

At Young Lives vs Cancer we believe in a rights-based approach. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), meaningful participation is a basic right of all children and young people. This includes both the right to be heard (under Article 12) and the responsibility of parents, care givers and other duty bearers to raise children’s voices, to listen to them and to take action on their perspectives. In our role as a charity working with children and young people, we are duty-bound to engage them – and their parents – in our work.  

My favourite part of the Voice Board is being able to play a role in the work the charity does and how it makes me, and my experience, feel valued. I am most proud of the different people I have been able to collaborate with and the opportunities we've had to collaborate on the work Young Lives vs Cancer undertake. It’s been a great honour to be on the Voice Board.”

Paul, Voice Board member

A call to action, a collective vision

The North Star Vision built by the voices of young cancer patients, their families, and the organisations that support them.

We pledge to…

Listen to your needs
Positioning ourselves as the leading organisation for listening to young cancer patients and their families, known for our expertise in collaborating with them.

Empower your voice
We empower children, young people, and families affected by childhood and young people’s cancer by amplifying their voices to create meaningful change.

Support systemic change
Support the creation of new models to help the health system, researchers, funders, and innovators improve lived experiences.

Community & connection
Establish a network led by those impacted by childhood and young people’s cancer; providing connections, opportunities, insights, and promoting systemic change beyond treatment.

We believe
In the transformative power of Voice – amplifying the experiences and perspectives of children and young people with cancer and their families to create real change.

 

Get in touch

Our Voice Team are passionate about listening to the views of children, young people with cancer, their parents and families. We want to champion their voices and enable them to participate in programmes and activities to shape what we do. If you want to know more, please email voice@younglivesvscancer.org.uk