YOUR CLIC SARGENT

www.clicsargent.org.uk

England and Wales edition • Spring 2015

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THANK YOU! We think you’re great.It’s true. The support you give CLIC Sargent helps us make life a little easier for children and young people with cancer, and for their families. So we hope you know how much we appreciate all you do – and we hope you enjoy reading about the difference you’re making in this newsletter.

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO…Meet RaeannaAfter Raeanna’s sister Caitlin (pictured below left) developed leukaemia last July, Raeanna wrote a powerful letter to their friends asking for donations to CLIC Sargent. ‘We are not only raising money for Caitlin,’ she wrote. ‘We are raising money for everyone with leukaemia.’ The heartfelt plea struck a chord, raising an incredible £3,500. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Raeanna.

Meet AmelieAmelie cut off her hair to show how much she cares about young people with cancer. She donated the hair to wig-making charity Little Princess Trust, and also raised £1,200 for CLIC Sargent. “We are all really proud of Amelie,” said her mum, Kirstie. So are we! Thanks so much Amelie.

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WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO…Childhood Cancer Awareness MonthLast September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month turned the UK gold. King’s Cross Station was decorated with a giant gold ribbon. Iconic buildings from Salisbury Cathedral to Blackpool Tower shone with gold lights. Thousands of supporters like you wore gold ribbons and added gold Twibbons to your Twitter profiles. And all that gold helped people across the UK get a better understanding of childhood cancer. Thank you to everyone who took part.

To find out more about this year’s event, keep an eye on www.clicsargent.org.uk

Partnerships with Signet and WallisWe’ve recently launched partnerships with Signet, the company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones, and Wallis, the clothes retailer. We’re thrilled to be working with both organisations to raise vital funds to help young cancer patients live life to the full.

New Glasgow Home from HomeWe’ve started building our new Home from Home in Glasgow, which will provide free accommodation for 11 families close to the city’s Royal Hospital. It’s due to open in July.

Did you know? 1,271 families stayed in our Homes from Home in 2013/14

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WHAT’S NEW FOR YOU? The latest from our services team

Our new community for young people with cancer launched in February, and we don’t mind admitting we’re pretty excited about it. It’s for anyone aged 16 to 24 who has, or has had, cancer, and we’ve developed it with a lot of help from the young people we work with. They told us that they’d welcome an online ‘space’ where they could share experiences, ask questions of each other, make friends and find trusted information – so that’s just what we’ve built! We’re hoping it’ll help young people support each other and feel less isolated.

Have you seen our new info? We’ve recently launched various new support materials, based on feedback from our staff and the families they work with.

Head to www.clicsargent.org.uk to find new info on coping with the impact cancer can have on school and work. We’ve added new resources for teachers and employers there too.

And while you’re online, check out our YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/clicsargent – for a new series of films featuring young people with cancer. Made around the UK, the films look at how relationships, bank balances, jobs and school can all be affected by a cancer diagnosis.

To download a wide range of CLIC Sargent resources for free, visit the ‘Help and support’ section of www.clicsargent.org.uk.

INTRODUCING CLIC SARGENT’S

ONLINE

COMMUNITY

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COUNTER CULTUREUpdates from our shops

Fix Up Look Sharp goes digitalOur upcycled clothing brand, Fix Up Look Sharp, transforms charity shop donations into one-off fashion pieces. And it now has a fabulous new website, so it’s easier than ever to explore the whole range and bag yourself a unique gem.

The Fix Up Look Sharp collection and brand have been developed by CLIC Sargent staff and volunteers, and all proceeds go straight back into our work to help young cancer

patients and their families cope and feel more in control.

Designer Ruth Strugnell, who is also Deputy Manager of our Bishopston shop, makes each unique garment by hand. “I love creating things from scratch,” she says, “taking fabric from donated curtains and turning them into something completely different. It’s a really satisfying way to work.”

Browse, buy, read our blog and sign up to our Fix Up Look Sharp eNews at fuls.clicsargent.org.uk

Follow us on Twitter @FULSClothing!

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THE POWER OF YOUR SUPPORT“It was a relief to open up.”Cassey was diagnosed with high risk neuroblastoma – a large tumour – aged just 15 months. Our social worker Tricia met Cassey’s parents Janet and Ricardo just after the diagnosis, and helped guide the couple through their confusion and concern.

Janet and Ricardo, both nurses, quickly realised something was wrong with their daughter, Cassey. Aged just 15 months, she had been starting to stand and walk. But instead of getting surer on her feet, she went back to crawling. Soon after, she stopped using her legs altogether.

Hospital tests in Guernsey showed that Cassey’s legs had become unresponsive. Janet and

Ricardo flew to Southampton for further tests, and an MRI scan revealed a large tumour behind Cassey’s lungs.

Coping with the shockShortly after this devastating diagnosis, Janet, Ricardo and Cassey’s brothers Kemt and Clifford met Tricia. Cassey needed chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour, and Tricia carefully explained to

Your support makes a huge difference to families like Cassey’s right across the UK. Thank you for everything you do – and thanks to Janet and Ricardo for sharing their story.

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the whole family what to expect.

“Tricia was there before and after the surgery and checked how we were every day,” says Janet. “She was very easy to talk to and it was a relief to open up.”

Financial help – and a family homeThe days after diagnosis can be completely bewildering, and costs like parking and travel build up fast – even though they are the last thing you want to think about. Tricia helped Janet and Ricardo cope by arranging two CLIC Sargent grants and explaining how to claim benefits and travel costs.

She also recommended that the family stay at CLIC Haven,

our Home from Home right next to Southampton Hospital.

“It was just such a relief,” Janet says, explaining that Cassey’s brothers would also come and stay. “When you are in CLIC Haven, you can have a little break and some time to yourself. It’s wonderful, you feel you are at home, but the hospital is very accessible from there.”

Following the chemotherapy, Cassey’s tumour was removed. She needed further chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, but began to walk normally again and continues to respond well to treatment.

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LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARDHow your money changes lives for good

Remember Ross?You might recognise Ross. We shared his story as part of our Christmas appeal back in 2011. He was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 18 months old, and we gave his family a place to stay at CLIC Villa, our Edinburgh Home from Home – as well as plenty of emotional support.

Since then, a lot has changed. Ross is now seven, and we’re really pleased to hear that he no longer needs cancer treatment. “He loves football, Dr Who and Minecraft,” says his mum, Lesley. “He is quite the

typical boy, despite dealing with side effects and hospital visits.”

It’s the sort of progress that makes everyone at CLIC Sargent celebrate – and it’s the kind of progress that your amazing support makes possible.

pays for one hour of a

CLIC Sargent Play Specialist’s time – so children can relax and cope better with treatment.

pays for three hours

of a CLIC Sargent Nurse’s time – enabling them to coordinate a child’s care and hopefully give that child more time at home.

pays for a residential

weekend – so one young person can connect with others who are going through similar experiences.

What your kindness could mean

£75 £180£15

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Q&A: COPING WITH CANCERWe recently published a new report: ‘Coping with Cancer - Supporting Young People’s Resilience’. Here’s what you need to know.

Why publish the report? We wanted to find out how young people seek help and how quality support and information can make life easier. So we spoke to 138 young people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

What was the main conclusion? We found that access to information is crucial – but some respondents said they struggled to find it, particularly when they had finished treatment.

How do youngpeople get support? Almost all used the internet. This hasn’t replaced face-to-face support, though, with 74% wanting to speak to a professional about health problems.

How is CLIC Sargent helping young people find support? We’ve recently launched our new online community (see p4). We’re planning to extend our services to give practical and emotional support to more young people. And we’re continuing our focus on helping young people become more resilient and cope better with the impact of cancer.

Read the full report at www.clicsargent.org.uk/copingwithcancer

Seeking advice onlineOf the young people that responded to our survey:

used the internet to find info for themselves

used it to give advice to others

used it to discuss issues with others.

96%55%48%

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ONE DAY... A GIFT IN YOUR WILL COULD CHANGE LIVES.After Sally’s grandson was diagnosed with cancer, she decided to include CLIC Sargent in her Will. “It’s important to me that, when I’m gone, the charity knows I’ve been thinking about it and how important it is,” she says.

“I remember it as if it were yesterday. Our lovely grandson Owen was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumour when he was only four. Owen had to have chemotherapy to reduce the tumour before they could remove his kidney.

“Throughout his treatment we were lucky to have the kind support of Alison, our CLIC Sargent Nurse. I’m not sure how my family would have coped without her.

“We are fortunate. Owen is now doing well… We can’t thank CLIC Sargent enough for everything.

“Nobody can see the future but there are things we can do to make the future more certain. As a grandparent I know that a gift to CLIC Sargent in your Will really would be a gift of a lifetime for children and young people with cancer.”

One day, a gift in your Will could make the difference of a lifetime. To find out how visit www.clicsargent.org.uk/oneday or please call Bridget on 0845 125 2625 or email bridget.matthews@clicsargent.org.uk.

Sally pictured, second from right.

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SUPPORT ME FUNDSIf someone you know is receiving support from CLIC Sargent or has completed treatment, you can set up a Support Me fund in their name.

Celine’s son, Joseph, was only six months old when he was diagnosed with Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

“About a week into our stay at Southampton General Hospital, Sarah, one of CLIC Sargent’s Social Workers, stepped into our lives,” Celine says today. “Almost immediately the black cloud began to lift.”

Inspired by the support they received from CLIC Sargent, Celine and her family set up a Support Me fund for Joseph in 2011 and have since raised

almost £100,000 – an incredible amount. Celine has run the London Marathon and skydived from 15,000 feet. Her husband Steve has run the marathon too. And many people have donated anonymously after being touched by Joseph’s story.

“Having a fund in Joseph’s name and seeing the difference our fundraising was making was a great way to keep the family’s spirits up when the going got really tough,” says Celine. We’d like to say an enormous thank you to the whole family and everyone who supported them.

Find out more about Support Me funds at www.clicsargent.org.uk/supportme

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BE A LIFE-SHAVER!Ready to show your solidarity with young cancer patients? Then join the people across the UK shaving their heads for The Big Buzz!

Many children and young people lose their hair during cancer treatment. It can be a tough change to deal with. But now more and more people are showing they care by shaving their heads as part of our Big Buzz fundraiser – and raising valuable donations for our work.

Joanne’s storyWhen Joanne, CLIC Sargent’s Fundraising Coordinator, was diagnosed with cancer last year, she decided to shave her head ‘on her own terms’.

“By the time I finish my treatment,” Joanne says, “1,510 children and young people

will be diagnosed with cancer. I want to help CLIC Sargent in their aim of being there to support every one of them.”

Joanne raised an incredible £1,450. That could pay for eight young people to spend a weekend at Malcolm Sargent House, our holiday home.

Ready to be a life-shaver? Call 0845 121 2492 or visit www.clicsargent.org.uk/bigbuzz

Since 2010, CLIC Sargent supporters have raised more than £400,000 by shaving their heads for The Big Buzz.

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READY FOR ACTION?The Thames Path ChallengeIn October 2014, Georgina took on the Thames Path Challenge to say thank you to CLIC Sargent for supporting her daughter, Katherine, who had passed away four months earlier.

Georgina was joined by 13 team members of all ages. Together they completed the 25km route and raised £6,000 for their brilliant efforts.

Feeling rightly delighted afterwards, she said: “We are all proud of our achievement as some of us had never undertaken a challenge like this”.

CLIC Sargent is proud to be an official partner for the Thames

Path Challenge, the Grand Union Challenge, the Isle of Wight Challenge, the London 2 Brighton Challenge and the London 2 Cambridge Challenge.

Fancy following Georgina’s lead? To take part in any of these events, head to www.clicsargent.org.uk/content/take-ultra-series

The Thames Path Challenge

• Runs from Henley to Putney Bridge

• 25km, 50km and 100km options

• Walkers, joggers and runners welcome

• 4,000 participants

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WE COULDN’T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT YOUBy supporting CLIC Sargent, you help us support children and young people with cancer, and their families – every day.

Thank you so much. From diagnosis onwards, you’re right there with families across the UK. At what can be a devastating time, you help us provide the practical, emotional and financial support families need to cope with cancer.

Please do continue your support, and remember that there are many ways to make a valuable difference to our work – from setting up a regular gift to taking on a run or trekking challenge.

Head to www.clicsargent.org.uk for more ideas on getting involved – and thank you again for joining us, as we work to change what a cancer diagnosis means to children, young people and their families.

Did you know? In 2013/14, we supported more than 6,500 children and young people with cancer, and their families.

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FANTASTIC FUNDRAISINGHow CLIC Sargent supporters are making futures brighter

Donna’s dazzling dinnerWhile Donna was being treated for breast cancer at The Christie hospital in Manchester, she saw a number of children and young people receiving chemotherapy. Inspired to organise a fundraising dinner and auction to support CLIC Sargent, Donna and her friend Christine raised more than £11,000. What a brilliant effort.

Penrhos Golf generosityPenrhos Golf Club captain Elaine chose to support CLIC Sargent throughout 2014, organising golf days and raffles and raising a fantastic total – £2,100. Our Fundraising Manager Hannah Worrall said, “I cannot thank the club enough for their year-long successful fundraising”.Pictured above are Elaine (far right) and Donna from Manchester (second right) celebrating their fundraising events.

The walk that grew…When Samantha began planning a sponsored walk to raise money for our work, she thought it would be a small event for

friends and family. But as word spread, more and more people wanted to get involved – and the event has so far raised £3,700! Thanks to everyone who helped to create such a success.

Fundraising by the truckloadFiveways Municipal Vehicle Hire came up with an unusual moneymaking idea recently – creating their very own CLIC Sargent rubbish truck and charging councils to hire it out. The result? An anything-but-rubbish £36,975 raised for our work.

Got a brilliant fundraising idea to support young cancer patients? Head to www.clicsargent.org.uk/fundraising

London West:2 and 3 May

Midlands: 30 and 31 May

Yorkshire: 1 and 2 August

South West:22 and 23 August

North West:12 and 13 September

London South:26 and 27 September

Take on the challenge to support young cancer patients. Sign up at www.clicsargent.org.uk/toughmudder

15KF000/A

MUD, MATES

AND

MEMORIES

TOUGH MUDDER 2015

Registered charity number 1107328 (England and Wales) and registered in Scotland (SC039857).