Young Lives vs Cancer

This autumn, we’ve been at political party conferences across the UK, with one clear message – cancer is more than medical for children and young people. Here's a small selection of our conference snaps 📸 Attending these conferences means we can speak directly to MPs, elected representatives and Ministers about the things that matter to children and young people with cancer. At Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Conservative conferences, our focus was on the National Cancer Plan for England, due to be published later this year. We had lots of great discussions about how the Plan needs to fully reflect the practical, emotional, and financial challenges faced by children and young people with cancer, alongside the medical, and why the Plan must include a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund.  At Labour conference we also engaged with members of the UK Government's Department of Health and Social Care team, including Secretary of State The Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP and Ministers Ashley Dalton MP and Karin Smyth. It was encouraging to hear Minister Dalton emphasise the importance of involving young people in decisions that directly affect them during a session focusing on the National Cancer Plan.  As well as an opportunity to forge many new relationships with representatives keen to work with us to create a better system of support for children and young people with cancer, we took the opportunity to catch-up with long-term supporters including Richard Quigley MP, Chair of the APPG on Cancer in Children and Young People, Dr Scott Arthur MP, whose Rare Cancers Bill is progressing through Parliament, and Clive Jones MP, Mark Isherwood MS and Jackie Bailie MSP, amongst many others who continue to raise the needs of children and young people with cancer in parliaments across the UK. In Wales and Scotland, where parties are preparing for next year’s Senedd and Holyrood elections, we've been at Plaid Cymru and SNP conferences to share our manifesto calls. Thank you Mabon ap Gwynfor MS and Neil Gray MSP for discussing our priorities with us. We’re calling on political parties in Scotland and Wales to commit to transforming care and support for children and young people with cancer by: - Developing new or refreshed cancer strategies that include children and young people  - Improving financial support for travel to treatment – expanding the Young Patient Family Fund criteria in Scotland and creating a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund in Wales  - Improving diagnosis experience  - Ensuring comprehensive support is provided during and beyond treatment  A big thank you to all our supporters who contacted their elected representatives ahead of conferences and helped us secure important meetings while we were there. Your support meant we could build new connections and amplify the needs of children and young people with cancer. 

Young Lives vs Cancer is excited to be at the Health Equity Network (HEN) third annual conference in Liverpool. We know that access, outcomes and experience of healthcare vary greatly for different communities. Focusing on equity for children and young people with cancer is an essential part of shaping a better system for the future. Let us know if you're also here! #HenConf2025 #HealthEquity #ChildhoodCancer #PublicHealth #EquityInCare #ChildHealth

Breakthrough innovation happens when partners from different sectors collaborate and solve problems together. Through the Young Lives Innovation Lab, we're investing in solutions and innovation - not just funding them, but actively shaping them using our 60+ years of frontline expertise and direct insight from young people and families. Last Monday as part of the Leeds Digital Festival, we brought together charity leaders, tech founders, healthcare innovators, and investors. We believe that charity expertise + tech innovation + patient co-design + investment capital = transformation that scales. If you're building something that changes how children and young people walk through their cancer journey, please connect. You can apply for investment or a partnership with the Young Lives Innovation Lab here: https://ow.ly/JH6e50X8zVl

As a proud member of the Wales Cancer Alliance, we’re calling on all parties to commit to implementing our recommendations to improve cancer care in Wales should they form the next Government. You can read more below. Fel aelod balch o Gynghrair Canser Cymru, rydym yn galw ar bob plaid i ymrwymo i weithredu ein hargymhellion i wella gofal canser yng Nghymru pe baent yn ffurfio'r Llywodraeth nesaf. You can also explore Young Lives vs Cancer’s manifesto for children and young people with cancer for the 2026 Senedd elections here: https://ow.ly/UER450X4peF

We were at the Health and Care Forum’s Cancer Plan event at Labour Conference yesterday afternoon. We were pleased to hear Ashley Dalton MP, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, passionately open the event and stress the importance of patience voice, especially of children and young people, in the development of the National Cancer Plan.   The panel recognised the cost of travelling to treatment as a barrier to accessing specialised treatment, like children and young people’s cancer care, and the need for a review of travel costs support. Our research found that children and young people with cancer spend an average of £250 every month just on travelling to treatment, with just 12% receiving support that covers their travel costs. The cost of travel is leaving one in 10 missing or delaying their treatment. It’s not right. The National Cancer Plan is due to be published before the end of the year, and we’re hopeful that the voices of children and young people with cancer have been listened to. They need UK Government commit to a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to ensure no child or young person has to worry about the cost of travelling to treatment. 

Facing the reality of having cancer treatment is tough enough without the struggle of the additional costs cancer brings. While losing an average £6k in annual income, families incur a whole range of extra costs of that can reach around £700 per month, to cover travel, food, energy bills, accommodation and more. They face an average of £250 every month just on travelling to and from treatment alone, lasting months or even years. Being there for a child or young person as they face cancer shouldn’t mean being pushed to your financial breaking point. - Image description below. A carousel made up of pink graphic images and text overlay. The text reads: ‘This is Andy.* He’s 22 and has a son. These are his current monthly costs… Travel, housing, household bills, food shop, childcare, leisure activities, savings. He’s been able to meet these monthly costs with his usual income. But at 22, Andy’s been diagnosed with sarcoma. Suddenly, he’s faced with impossible decisions on how he will meet the extra costs of cancer. He can’t work during treatment, so he’s also losing income… Extra cancer costs include travel to hospital (+£250), stay near hospital (+£14), energy bills (+£68), food (+144), childcare (+30), toys and treats (+£48). Andy is now in financial difficulty, when this should be the last thing on his mind. +700 every month. The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. It’s not right. We’re calling for better support from the UK Government – a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund and improved welfare benefits. Share this post and show your support.’

🎧 This week, our Director of Research, Innovation & Systems Change, Helen McShane, joins the Third Sector podcast to share the story behind Young Lives Innovation Lab: our new approach at Young Lives vs Cancer to finding and supporting promising ideas that could transform life for young people with cancer and their families. This isn’t just a conversation about innovation. It’s about the realities inside charities: ·      Protecting time ·      Shifting resources ·      Building new types of relationships ·      Creating permission to try new things Helen also explores how charities can rethink their role, not just as service providers, but as system shapers, market builders, and connectors. She speaks candidly about the challenge of carving out space for long-term innovation while meeting the urgent needs of children and young people with cancer. Learn more about our innovation work by following the Young Lives Innovation Lab page, and listen to the pod via the link in the comments 👇 #Innovation #CharityLeadership #YoungLivesLab #ThirdSectorPodcast #SocialImpact #YoungLivesVsCancer

“I spent thousands just to get around for my treatment. My parents couldn’t afford to travel to support me, so I paid out of my savings. My savings went down so quickly - you blink and it’s gone.” Abbie was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called MEN1 when she was 16. She had surgery to remove what were thought to be benign tumours, but the doctors told her they were cancerous. “I cried when they told me - it was really shocking. I had no words.” Abbie spent two weeks in Southampton Hospital after her surgery, away from her home in Alderney, a Channel Island near Guernsey. She then had to return to the hospital on the mainland several times post-operation. Each time, her parents needed to pay for flights, travel to get to the hospital and accommodation to stay nearby. For the first trip, Abbie paid hundreds for her mum to stay at a hotel. She was working at a care home and put on sick pay, which was very minimal. Her savings of £2,000 quickly went due to travel costs and other costs while in the hospital. Abbie’s Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker Kate told her about Jean’s House, our Home from Home in Southampton, which saved her hundreds in hotel costs for subsequent hospital visits. Kate also helped her to get a grant which went towards some of these costs. “Young Lives vs Cancer provided so much comfort during that time and it helped take a lot of stress off everything. Without the help I would have been in so much debt. It took so much weight off our shoulders.” Young Lives vs Cancer believes that cancer should never come with a price tag. Families like Abbie's should be able to focus on their child’s treatment and wellbeing, not how they’ll afford the additional costs cancer brings. That’s why we’re calling on UK Government to create a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund as part of the Cancer Plan for England. We're currently attending political party conferences around the UK to make sure our message is heard loud and clear.

We're pleased to see the new NHS initiative Jess’s Rule being rolled out to help patients get a faster diagnosis, which we know is crucial to ensuring people receive the treatment and support they need as soon as possible. Our CEO Rachel Kirby-Rider said: “We know that around 45% of children and young people with cancer (0-25) had to visit their GP three or more times about their cancer symptoms before being told to go to hospital. "Thanks to the incredible campaigning of Jess’ family in her name, we hope this new initiative will help children and young people get the treatment and support they need sooner.”