Cancer in children and young people

EVERY day, 12 children and young people hear the devastating news they have cancer.

As a services manager for CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading charity for under 25s with cancer, my team of social workers are there to support those young people and their families living with cancer from London. However, due to the coronavirus crisis, the future of our charity and our ability to continue to be there for families is uncertain.

Despite our urgent calls on the government for financial support, we have been unable to access any of the £750m Government package for charities to help keep their vital services running.

We provide frontline services alongside the NHS in every children’s and young people’s principal treatment centre across the UK. After seeing a 60 per cent drop in income during the pandemic, CLIC Sargent urgently needs financial support. We are calling on the Government to provide £750,000 which will help us provide social care support for around 1,200 families, for up to six months.

I am urging readers to help CLIC Sargent by calling on their local MP to sign their support. You can help by asking your MP to sign an open letter backing our call. Visit www. clicsargent.org.uk/email-your-mp/

Cancer has not stopped for coronavirus. From providing families with hardship grants now, more than ever, we need to be there for families when they need us most. No child, young person or family should have to face cancer alone.

Michelle Vernon

Clic Sargent