Partnership aims

• To make our partnership engaging and fun for everyone across the business
• Raise as much money as possible to help young people fight cancer
• Increase the awareness of teenage cancer, our work, and how we can help young people in need of our support

Find your nearest stores

Find your nearest Argos or Homebase stores.

Crumlin construction

Construction of the very first specialist cancer unit for teenagers in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) with cancer has now begun at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. This momentous milestone has been achieved thanks to the extraordinary fundraising efforts of the country’s Argos and Homebase stores.

Since 2010 Argos and Homebase staff and customers have raised over €250,000 to enable the specialist facility at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin to go ahead. This has been achieved via a host of wonderful fundraising initiatives such as a full scale mock wedding, football tournaments, a ‘Take Me Out’ dating event and a staged kidnap of a local pub’s dog statue!

Read the full press release.

Have you got your new pin badge?

Home Retail Group are running a pin badge comeptition throughout October. Have you got your new badge?

From the 1st – 31st October Teenage Cancer Trust will be running a pin badge competition within all Argos and Homebase stores to sell as many pin badges as possible. There are currently 150,000 badges in stock and the purpose of the competition is to try and get rid of as many of these badges as possible. Why not pop down to your local store and get your new Teenage Cancer Trust pin badge?

Latest Partnership News

We are delighted to announce that the partnership has been officially extended until February 2013

Argos and Homebase have raised a staggering £4 million for us! In just over two years Argos and Homebase customers and colleagues have smashed their initial fundraising target of raising £2.5 million. The partnership began in July 2010 and all proceeds raised by customers and staff will go towards the construction and maintenance of 22 teenage cancer units within NHS hospitals, across the UK and Ireland. We estimate the 162 essential beds Home Retail Group have contributed towards will provide 20,088 patients sessions in a year.

Head down to your local Argos store to pick up this exclusive bracelet sold in support of Teenage Cancer Trust. Available for just £29.99, all profits from the item will go towards helping young people who are fighting cancer. You can also buy or reserve your bracelet online here

Award winning garden designer and broadcaster Joe Swift who is designed the Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden, for May’s Chelsea Flower Show, popped to our Teenage Cancer Trust unit at The Royal Marsden in Surrey to give some former patients an exclusive gardening workshop. The group learnt how to grow beans and tomatoes as well as how to create potted flower arrangements which they could take home with them at the end of the workshop. Click here to view some more photos from the event.

Teenage Spirit Rose

A special rose created in memory of a teenage cancer patient and which also raises funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, will go on general sale for the very first time in Homebase stores across the UK from May 2012.

The Teenage Spirit Rose was created in 2005 to celebrate the life of Jennifer Jones, 19, from Birmingham.

Jennifer was just 14 when she was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma - a cancerous tumour of the muscle. She received treatment on a children's ward, but unfortunately after a three year remission period, Jennifer’s cancer returned. However, this time she was treated on a new Teenage Cancer Trust unit which she said was “the complete opposite” to the children’s ward. She found the unit more relaxing, and met other young people with cancer for the first time, boosting her confidence and making her feel more independent.

Jennifer loved pink roses and in the last few days of her life talked about wanting to fundraise for Teenage Cancer Trust as she didn’t want other young people to be treated on a children's ward like she was. Through the hard work and dedication of Jennifer’s parents, Kay and Steve Jones, a patio floribunda rose was created. The rose was named The Teenage Spirit Rose and has become the symbol of Jennifer’s fundraising.

Kay Jones comments: “For family and friends the pink rose has come to personify Jennifer. It is so fitting that a rose in her memory can raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust - a cause that she was so passionate about. We are so proud and very grateful to Homebase for bringing the Teenage Spirit Rose to general sale for the first time.”

You can purchase this very special rose in our online shop by clicking here or in 170 Homebase stores nationwide.

High Atlas Summit Trek

Congratulations to all the Home Retail Group High Atlas trekkers

This challenge offered a tough, yet incredibly rewarding trek combining unforgettable mountain scenery with the splendour and colour of Morocco and its traditional people, the Berbers. In the midst of it all lies the High Atlas mountain range, home to Jebel Toubkal; at 4,167m high one of the tallest peaks in North Africa. Reaching the summit of this awesome mountain signified the peak of this challenge.

Trekkers navigated their way, climbing and scrambling over huge, obstructive boulders and loose rock of Jebel Toubkal, for 5 to 8 hours each day,

The partnership up to date

The Home Retail Group / Teenage Cancer Trust charity partnership has raised an incredible £3,901,685.46

A breakdown of this figure is below:

Argos stores across UK and Ireland - £1,774,330.58

Homebase stores across UK and Ireland - £1,910,697.24

HomeStore & More stores UK - £8,289.33

Non Store Sites £208,368.31

This is an amazing result and we are delighted by the support and fundraising activity of Home Retail Group colleagues to date!

The money raised from the partnership with Home Retail Group will have a huge impact on the lives of young people across the UK and Ireland living with cancer.

Top Fundraising Stores

Argos

1. Leicester Belgrave Gate - £15,703.84

2. Great Yarmouth Retail Park £14,591.73

3. Cavan - €13,484.72

Homebase

1. Solihull - £22,186.9

2. Gateshead - £21,065.55

3. London Catford - £20,175.39

Where the money is going

The partnership with Home Retail Group will have a huge impact on the lives of young people...

We currently have 22 specialist cancer units for young people across the UK. Our aim is to build enough units so that every young person with cancer has access to one.

The money raised by Home Retail Group Colleagues so far has:

• Helped fund and maintain 22 Teenage Cancer Trust units, serving 19 major cities and communities across the UK

• Contributed towards 162 beds in specialist Teenage Cancer Trust units in those cities and communities. Over the course of an average year, that equates to 20,088 patient treatment sessions.