How you can help young people with cancer in your area this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Editor,

Throughout September, for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity, Young Lives vs Cancer, will be helping children with cancer have their voices heard…they may be little, but they have BIG voices!

Having cancer when you’re a child is scary, lonely, relentless and painful.

Over the past year our children have missed out on so much.

But for many children with cancer they are still swapping classrooms for chemotherapy, still waving at family members through windows and watching friends blow out birthday candles via phone screens.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month we want everyone to see children with cancer for who they are and who they want to be.

Because they are more than their cancer.

We would love to see the local community come together to help young people with cancer in Greater Manchester, and there are lots of ways to get involved.

We’re looking for volunteers to represent Young Lives vs Cancer at our bucket collections in local Morrisons stores.

We have various dates throughout September, all available dates and times can be found on our website.

In return, volunteers will get a warm fuzzy feeling and a huge sense of pride!

In the UK, children with cancer face an average 60-mile round trip to hospital to get life-saving treatment, with many travelling further.

We would love people in the local community to sign up to our Challenge60.

They could run 60 miles throughout the month (two miles a day), complete a 60-mile bike ride, or even hop, we don't mind!

People can also support young people with cancer by purchasing their very own Young Lives vs Cancer gold ribbon pin badge, which are available at Morrisons stores, or you can order one online for a suggested £1 donation.

Last year, nearly 300 children and young people with cancer from Greater Manchester, and their families, were supported by Young Lives vs Cancer.

Work is also now well under way towards a new ‘Home from Home’ in the city, where young people can stay in comfort and free of charge, during their treatment.

We’d like to thank the community for their ongoing support.

Their efforts mean Young Lives vs Cancer can be there for the children and young people of Greater Manchester with cancer, keeping families together by providing Home from Homes near hospitals and financial grants for support.         

You can find more information about all of the ways to get involved this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, make a donation or shop online at: younglivesvscancer.org.uk  #MoreThanMyCancer

Joe Burns

Senior Fundraising and Engagement Manager – Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Stafford

Young Lives Vs Cancer

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The views expressed are those of the author of the letter and not those of Oldham Chronicle.