In This Section
At Cancer Fund for Children we connect, empower and strengthen children and young people so they do not have to face cancer alone.
Every year we support over 500 families and 1,500 children and young people (age 0-24 years old) by providing practical and emotional support as well as free short break in Daisy Lodge, our therapeutic centre in Newcastle Co. Down.
Coronavirus Response
Cancer, and how it affects children and their families, will not stop during the coronavirus crisis and with your support we will be here for families during the worst, as well as the best of times.
With coronavirus having a major impact on all of our lives we want to take this opportunity to thank Henderson Group, EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA retailers and customers and let you know how we are continuing to deliver services to children and young people affected by cancer across Northern Ireland.
The children and young people we support are particularly vulnerable and cancer will continue to devastate the lives of local families. Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily close our head office and therapeutic short break centre Daisy Lodge. However, we have adapted our working practices to ensure children and young people living with cancer and the threat of coronavirus are kept safe.
Help For Vulnerable Young People
Throughout this pandemic we will continue to accept referrals for support. Our team of Cancer Support Specialists will continue to deliver individual and group support to children and young people by phone and online helping to reduce isolation, respond to any worries they may have and crucially connect them with other young people experiencing cancer. Our team will also deliver online videos providing advice and guidance to families on how to navigate isolation and manage anxiety and stress during these uncertain times.
Supporting Families at Home
One of the ways in which our team of Cancer Support Specialists will support young people and their families is through practical video tutorials.
Last week our Cancer Support Specialist Vanessa shared a video to help young people and their families recognise and manage anxiety. The advice and guidance Vanessa provides will be helpful to anyone during this time of uncertainty. You can watch the video in full and download our anxiety toolkit here: https://cancerfundforchildren.com/managing-anxiety/
In this week’s video our Cancer Support Specialist Laura discusses practising gratitude. The tools and advice Laura shares are tips we can all integrate into our daily lives as we all adjust to the new normal during Covid-19: https://cancerfundforchildren.com/gratitude/
Our Team has also created an Easter Activity Pack full of fun and creative activities for the whole family to enjoy at home. Anyone can download this pack which will help you entertain kids and manage isolation over the holiday period. Download your free activity pack here: https://cancerfundforchildren.com/easter-activity-pack/
We Won’t Stop
For local charities a major impact of the coronavirus pandemic is that we are facing a financial crisis. At Cancer Fund for Children 90% of our income is a direct result of fundraising, made possible by the generosity of the public and charity partners like EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA. With fundraising events cancelled, COVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on our funding.
We know this is a difficult time for everyone right now – we are in uncharted territory and there is no-one who has not been affected by this crisis. If you feel you can donate to us at all, you can donate online at cancerfundforchildren.com.
Cancer will not stop, and neither will we when children and young people need our support now more than ever.