Since starting out as a small memorial charity 28 years ago, Children with Cancer UK has played a major role fighting childhood cancer. In that time we have helped improve survival rates, particularly for children suffering with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer.
The NHS has adopted treatment and procedures pioneered by our charity and today 92% of children diagnosed with ALL will survive.
Our progress would not have been possible without the generosity of supporters and for that we are enormously grateful. To date, with your help, we have raised over £200m in our fight against childhood cancer – £125m, of that, in the last ten years.
Jaiveer was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in March 2014.
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I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has so kindly supported our work to
help more children and their families. I look forward to all we can continue to achieve together in the future.
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Eddie O'Gorman OBE Founder and Chair of Trustees |
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We are currently funding research projects worth £14million, at centres around the UK – including centres in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham and London. This means we now have more than 50 active research grants, supporting life-saving research.
In 2015 we made new research commitments totalling £4.3million under our range of funding streams including project grants, research fellowships and our brain tumour initiative.
In September, we'll be holding our scientific conference, Childhood Cancer 2016, which will bring together clinicians and scientists working in childhood cancer for three days of discussion and debate. We will be focusing on three key themes: precision medicine, immunotherapy and causation.
In 2015, we awarded Fellowships to two talented young scientists, taking the number of Paul O'Gorman Research Fellows to five.
Dr Hales is carrying out a programme of research that aims to develop advanced MRI techniques to improve diagnosis and assessment of treatment response in paediatric cancer.
Dr Clynes' research aims to uncover new ways of treating certain childhood cancers known as Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) positive cancers.
These include some devastating forms of childhood brain tumours.
In 2015, we awarded the first major research grants under our Brain Tumour Initiative, which was launched in 2014 to increase momentum in childhood brain tumour research.
BIOMarkers of Ependymoma in Children and Adolescents (BIOMECA)
Ependymoma is a devastating brain tumour that kills up to 40% of young patients, with little improvement over recent years. It is the second most common malignant brain tumour to occur in children and adolescents.
Diagnosing childhood medulloblastoma by improved MRI scans
Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood malignant brain tumour and only around 60% of young patients survive.
Understanding the genetics of paediatric glioblastoma
Paediatric glioblastoma is a devastating brain tumour that less than 20% of young patients survive.
New tools to improve treatment and care in paediatric craniopharyngioma
Paediatric craniopharyngioma is a brain tumour that has high survival but can leave survivors with very poor quality of life.
In 2016 we'll be holding a workshop that will focus on the very specific problem of drug delivery in childhood brain tumours. Following on from the workshop we'll be inviting funding applications for collaborative projects in this field and plan to award a further round of grants before the end of the year.
In September 2015, we once again took part in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Our aims were to raise awareness of childhood cancer and raise funds. We were able to share patient stories to highlight the impact childhood cancer has on children and their families.
We were delighted to be joined by Olympic Gold Medallist and Dancing on Ice Star, Jayne Torvill and children's TV Presenter, Chris Jarvis.
In March 2015 we took part in Brain Tumour Awareness Month for the first time. Our aims were to highlight just how important research is to find better diagnosis and safer treatments for children with brain tumours.
We are going to ensure that childhood cancer awareness is optimised throughout the year by communicating the life-saving work of our researchers and highlighting the impact cancer has on children and their families.
In 2015, we were able to fund a number of welfare projects across the UK. We've highlighted a few of these and the huge difference they make to children and families affected by childhood cancer.
As part of our commitment to help families affected by childhood cancer, we continue to work closely with our friends at CLIC Sargent through our support of their 'CLIC Sargent grants' and 'Home from Home' initiatives.
We are pleased to have given financial support to Together for Short Lives, one of the UK's leading charities for children with life-shortening conditions. Together for Short Lives provide information and support to families of children with cancer, when a child needs palliative care.
We were able to provide a grant to Lifelites, a charity that provides specialist entertainment, educational and assistive technology packages to children and young people with rare, life-limiting conditions and complex disabilities.
We were also able to support Shooting Star Chase, a leading children's hospice charity caring for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families.
The event at Zippos helps children put aside their troubles and have some fun. Nearly 50 families were treated to a sensational circus extravaganza.
We plan to continue our welfare efforts to help ensure every family affected by childhood cancer has the support they need.
Over 350 cyclists cycled through the Surrey Hills and the streets of London for us last August, as they raised over £260,000 towards our live-saving work.
Just under 1,000 guests raised £559,000.
In May, 10-year-old Ed Gordon-Thomson trekked up the UK’s highest mountain- Ben Nevis. Ed was diagnosed with leukaemia seven years ago when he was two and a half. Over £48,000 was raised through this fantastic challenge.
In 2015 we held two stunning opera evenings in the Great Conservatory at Syon. The evenings raised more than £107,000.
In 2015, we ran three Grand Draws, Spring, Summer and Christmas. Thanks to our celebrity friends, Kian Egan, Linda Robson and Holly Willoughby and our generous supporters the Grand Draws raised over £2.3million for Children with Cancer UK.
In 2015 we continued our recruitment of new donors through our national TV fundraising campaign. This helped us raise funds for vital research and welfare projects.
Following on from the success of the Direct response television (DRTV) campaigns in 2014 and 2015, we are launching a new series of DRTV adverts in September 2016.
We are pleased to let you know that there are some exciting plans ahead for fundraising in 2016. Our loyal supporter and Trustee, Linda Robson, will be the face of our new Weekly Lottery 'Linda's Lottery'. |
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The Mr Men and Little Miss are back!
The characters will be used ready for most Sports Team activities happening in 2017. In addition, there will be a new children's fundraising campaign, encouraging schools and groups to design a new character or write a new Mr Men and Little Miss story launching in May 2016.
In 2015, thanks to over 1,400 runners, the Virgin Money London Marathon raised an incredible £2.7million.
We were also proud to launch our partnership with Rat Race Events – we aim to raise over £1 million over three years. In 2015 we raised £247,863 towards this total.
Overall, our cyclists, runners, climbers, swimmers and trekkers raised a record breaking £4,349,183 towards our work to help save young lives.
We are hugely grateful to the many companies – large and small – that supported and have continued to support us in 2015 and all their dedicated staff who fundraise so enthusiastically to raise vital funds and awareness for Children with Cancer UK.
In 2015 the total amount raised by Coral for Children with Cancer UK reached over £1.5million.
This fantastic achievement is a huge testament to the varied and dedicated fundraising shown by Coral staff and customers.
In 2015 Toys R Us raised £45,869. The company have supported Children with Cancer UK since 2012 and in that time have managed to raise £214,636 towards our life saving research.
We are so very grateful to the many Trusts and Foundations that supported the projects within our Brain Tumour Initiative in 2015.
We are pleased to report that our income has increased to £17.5 million in 2015.
A very warm and heartfelt thank you to all the families who have kindly shared their experiences in 2015. Your involvement is essential in raising awareness and vital funds to help children with cancer.
Although we are only able to highlight a very small number of our supporters below, we offer our sincere and wholehearted thanks to everyone who so generously supported our work during 2015:
Ant and Dec • Brian Blessed • Brenda Blethyn • Frank Bruno • Sir Michael Caine • Jasper Carrott • Dame Joan Collins • Phil Collins • Dame Judi Dench • Kian Egan • Philippa Forrester •Sir Bruce Forsyth • Sir Chris Hoy • Chris Jarvis • Sir David Jason • Pui Fan Lee • Lennox Lewis • Gary Lineker • Joanna Lumley • Sandy Lyle • Sir Paul McCartney • Sir Trevor McDonald • Stephen Mulhern • Des O’Connor • Robert Powell • Pauline Quirke • Sir Steve Redgrave • Linda Robson • Jonathan Ross • Phillip Schofield • Chris Tarrant • Rob Templeman • David Tennant • Kevin Whately • Holly Willoughby • Paul Young
Pictured: Ethan, Amanda, Brandon, Sophie, Ricki and Evie
Whilst success against some childhood cancers has increased, prognosis for other childhood cancers remains poor. Brain tumours kill more children than any other cancer and more than 60% of survivors are left with a life-altering, long term disability.
