Friday 7 September 2012

CLIC Sargent

Last December I took past in CLIC Sargent's annual "Big Bucket Collection" and managed to raise £200 for the charity. I will be doing the same again on December 8th this year and wanted to let you know more about the charity and why I am so willing to spend a freezing cold December Saturday raising money for them.

Every single day in the UK sees about ten children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer. That's about three thousand, six hundred a year with forty four per cent of them being aged fifteen or younger at the time of diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with cancer at any age would obviously be a huge shock and a very emotional time but to see children and teenagers faced with their own mortality before they've really had a chance to live is horrific. CLIC Sargent focus on helping these children and young people as well as their families and loved ones deal with this bombshell, aiming to provide them with support to meet their needs.

CLIC Sargent do several things to help:
*They provide practical clinical and emotional support

* They provide grants and benefit information to help with the financial implications of cancer

*Lots of young sufferers require care in hospitals far from home so the charity provides free accommodation near specialist hospitals with their Home from Home service

*They arrange free mini breaks to allow families the chance to spend quality time together away from hospital and the every day reality of childhood cancer

*They provide over two hundred medical professionals including nurses and social workers to provide various forms of support for young cancer patients and their families.

*They have a wide range of practical and clear information on childhood cancer

Facts and Figures:
In 2011/12 CLIC Sargent helped families in the following ways:
*38% of the charities expenditure went towards maximising the amount of time young cancer sufferers can spend at home whilst undergoing treatment

*34% went towards trying to reduce the financial impact of cancer as well as the practical impact

*18% was spent on making sure the emotional well-being of young cancer patients and their loved ones is looked after and that they are supported emotionally

*10% went on helping young cancer patients towards reaching their full potential by helping them get access to education and employment opportunities

£21.24 million was raised in 2011/12 with over £7 million of that coming from local community fundraising as well as national events and challenges. £3.5 million was left to the charity in people's wills. The rest came from corporate partnerships, trusts and donations, products being sold online and in their shops and donations from individuals.

Major Achievements and the Future:
A major achievement for the charity in 2011/12 was the launch od the "Counting the Cost of Cancer" report. CLIC Sargent discovered that around two thirds of parents with a cancer stricken child were finding themselves plunged into debt whilst looking after their child. CLIC Sargent campaigned to protect the benefits for young cancer sufferers to ease the financial impact of the disease.

14% of young cancer sufferers are aged between sixteen and eighteen years of age and CLIC Sargent are looking to find ways to offer this age group more help and support as gaps have been discovered in the support available to this age bracket.

I speak from experience when I say childhood cancer has a massive, heartbreaking impact on the sufferer and their loved ones. Georgie and our family received invaluable support from CLIC Sargent and I am very proud to be able to give back to them by having a Big Bucket Collection every year and raising money to help enable them to carry on their fantastic work. The charity does AMAZING things for families affected by childhood cancer and I urge you to take a look at their website and look at ways you can get involved and help them make a difference to the life of a young cancer sufferer.

I'm really looking forward to my collection in December and remember to keep an eye out for a Big Bucket Collection in your area this December - dig deep if you can!!!

xxx


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