Well Rounded View
We understand how important it is for lawyers to have a well rounded view, to be well informed and to be able to base legal advice on that knowledge. Our legal advice and services fit into our clients’ bigger picture. In this section of our website we invite a leading business man or woman to share their views.
Twenty years of helping young people fight cancer
Christmas is a time for giving and receiving and for thinking of others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. Tods Murray and its staff are committed to helping in communities where we work and live, where our ideas, people and resources can make a difference. In this special festive Well Rounded View, we invite Simon Davies, Chief Executive of our Charity of the Year “Teenage Cancer Trust” to tell us more about the organisation and the importance of spreading its message to supporters, old and new.
By Simon Davies, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust grew out of the dedication and passion of a group of women who discovered the plight of teenagers with cancer by chance. Whilst fundraising for a children's intensive care heart unit at Guy's Hospital, London in 1989, they met a mother whose son developed cancer at 13. He was treated at times in a children’s ward or alongside old people - making the experience far worse for him. The women met the young man’s consultant who explained that not only did young people have to face the trauma of cancer, its treatment, and isolation from their peers at a very sensitive stage of life, but that they also tended to get rare cancers. This group of women recognized that young people needed to be brought together at such a sensitive time and that they needed to be treated by professionals who understood their specific needs. They set out to provide this ‘teenage environment’ and raised the £330,000 needed to fund it.
On 22 November 1990, Teenage Cancer Trust’s first specialist cancer unit at the Middlesex Hospital in London was officially opened by Sarah, Duchess of York. Since the opening of that first unit, Teenage Cancer Trust has grown into an internationally recognised and influential organisation. Every day we are transforming the lives of young people with cancer by providing or facilitating access to the best possible care and professional support, in the spirit of those pioneering women.
Twenty years later, we celebrate not only the anniversary of this unit, the first of its kind in the world, but also a remarkable year of substantial achievement for Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s an important time to look back at everything we have successfully delivered, think about all the inspiring young people we have met along the way and the exceptional support, friendship and drive shown by everyone who makes our work possible.
Today we are a national force and are internationally renowned for our pioneering work. In the last 12 months we have opened eight new units, more than in any previous year, bringing us to a total of 17 units open and supporting young people. We now have a specialist team of six Nurse Consultants, seven Lead Nurses and 11 Youth Support Coordinators working in our units. Seven of these specialist staff were recruited in the last year. Our services are now available to more young people with cancer than ever before. The charity leads the world in the care of young people with cancer and has transformed the experiences of thousands, working towards making cancer ‘a comma’ and not a ‘full stop’ in their lives. This is entirely due to the generosity of our supporters.
Research carried out by the Futures Company in 2009 concluded that the impact of Teenage Cancer Trust’s units comes from their facilitation of normality – a continuation of the young person’s normal life outside hospital. At the opening of our latest unit in October, a young man with cancer arrived on the unit for the first time and said that despite having cancer, he was actually excited about being there. This is what we hope for – that the time spent in a Teenage Cancer Trust unit will be as positive as possible, no matter how long young people are there. In understanding the specific needs of a teenager with cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust treats them as a teenager first, cancer patient second. We don’t believe that cancer should get in the way of them being able to stay young people.
Speaking at the opening, Roger Daltrey CBE, Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust and The Who front man commented:
“Dealing with cancer is frightening. Being taken away from your normal life - your friends, your environment – and put in a cancer ward with small children or older people is unimaginable. At Teenage Cancer Trust we don’t believe this is right as teenagers with cancer shouldn’t have to stop being teenagers. These units are great and become a home away from home from the young people treated on them.”
I’m proud to report that in these challenging times 2010 has been our most successful fundraising year yet. Despite the continued pressures of the recession, the generosity of individuals, schools, communities and companies like Tods Murray continues to astound us. Together everyone has helped us raise over £11.5million. Our achievements are thanks to people who share our vision investing in us.
That’s not the end of it though! Despite all our achievements, there’s still so much to do. We have an ambitious plan which will extend our reach and position units, nurses and youth support co-ordinators across Scotland and the UK to support every young person with cancer. This requires many more millions and increased energy to spread our message, so our supporters, new and old, remain important to us.
There are lots of ways you can continue to show your support for Teenage Cancer Trust and you can find lots of information and ideas on our website.
I consider Teenage Cancer Trust incredibly lucky to have such passionate, creative and committed supporters. However you choose to help us, every single pound you give and person you tell about us means we can help more young people fight cancer.
Thank you for joining our movement for change.
Teenage Cancer Trust is proud to be Tods Murray's charity of the year. As well as raising money for us, Tods Murray are also providing charity law training for our Scotland team and work experience opportunities for young people with cancer from the region. Since the partnership kicked off in April, we've been thrilled with the creativity and energy of their fundraising. Staff have completed a Three Peaks Challenge raising over £3,000; law students on placement raised £4,000 in eight weeks; and instead of sending Christmas cards this year Tods Murray are making a donation to Teenage Cancer Trust. Many more exciting initiatives are planned for the New Year!
Simon Davies
View Simon Davies’s biography
Find out more about our fundraising initiatives in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
Visit our JustGiving site in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
View details of the Tods Murray "Charity Team"
Contact Richard Findlay, head of the Tods Murray Charity Team
Visit Teenage Cancer Trust's website