Supporting young people with cancer in Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Berkshire

Our brand new Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey opened its doors for patients on 2012. It cost Teenage Cancer Trust £3.5 million to build and equip and your support made it possible.

The Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital is:

• One of the largest, most impressive units in the country
• Five individually designed bedrooms with en-suite wet rooms and a pair of four-bed bays, colour coordinated in funky, modern designs
• Chill-out area complete with Gaming pod, TV, juke box, pool table, and a state-of-the-art ‘snoezelen’ pod for quiet reflection.
• The unit also includes a unique roof terrace, large school room with full internet access, parent’s lounge, kitchen and space for family and friends to stay over to ensure the family unit is kept together during long stays in hospital.

Young People in the South East still need your help....

The new unit is the first step in our commitment to helping young people with cancer in the South East. We also fund specialist staff and provide a wide range of physical, psychological and emotional support to ensure young people with cancer have the best chance of a positive outcome. We also work with schools, colleges and universities across the region, educating young people about the signs and symptoms of cancer and educating them about prevention.

Get Involved today and help us improve the quality of life for young people and their families throughout their cancer journey.

Dumbfest and Dumball Rally

Huge thanks to Danny and Jane Maines for a fantastic Dumbfest event which raised £5,500.

The fourth Annual Dumbfest Music and Comedy Festival brought together top artists from James Walsh (Starsailor) and Reef plus a full line up of the finest up and coming comedy and music acts from around the UK and beyond. Highlights included:

James Walsh (Starsailor)
The Stringer Bessent Band (Reef)
Devvo
Patrick Monahan

People can follow Dumbfest on Facebook and Twitter for latest details. www.dumbfest.com

Dumball Car Rally 2014

Brighton to Malaga – Via Morocco! 23 May – 1 June. Cost £500pp which includes channel crossings, accommodation, camping in the Sahara Desert, meals and parties! And then raise a minimum of £1000 per team for Teenage Cancer Trust. Your car must be worth less than £400. For more information and to register visit Dumball or email

In and around Sussex

Your Local Contact: For all enquiries please contact jade.mcshane@teenagecancertrust.org

Local Fundraising Groups

Brighton, Eastbourne and Lewes all have local fundraising groups, run and managed by volunteers to raise awareness of the work we do at a local level. If you would like to know more about these local groups, email the South East Team for further information.

Beth's Fund

Beth's Fund was set up to remember Beth Ansell, an inspiring young fundraiser who very sadly lost her battle with cancer in early 2012.

It was Beth's wish to raise £10,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust. Her family, friends and the local community in Portslade, East Sussex, have been working hard to reach that goal.

The £10,000 target has now been reached so congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen.

In recent fundraising news, a Golf Day, organised by Beth's Grandfather Keith Ansell and his partner Gill, raised over £700 for Beth's Fund. A team also did the Three Peaks Challenge at the end of May in Beth's memory, raising an amazing £9,000.

Other recent fundraising includes teachers from Beth's school, Portslade Aldridge Community Academy, cycling from Brighton to Paris this summer to raise money in Beth's memory.

Lesley Jeavons took part in a sponsored head shave, raising over £3,300. Lesley said ‘I've pretty much looked the same for the last 25 years. My theory is that it is just hair, it's superficial and it will come back, and others have lost their hair through treatment without a choice’. To show your support check out Lesley’s link here http://www.justgiving.com/Lesley-Jeavons

Good luck to all of the intrepid Beth's Fund-raisers!

Latest News

• Many thanks to Ella Lewis and the Fashion and Textile Students of Brighton University. Their fashion show on 22 March raised £200 for Teenage Cancer Trust. Check out their Facebook page.

• Well done to Sussex RAG for holding their fundraising Charity Fashion Show in Hove in November in association with Sussex Fashion SOC.

• Thanks to BHASVIC College for choosing Teenage Cancer Trust as their National Charity partner.

What's On

• We will be the main beneficiary of the Heathfield Open Air Concert on 22 June. Following last years highly successful concert, and local demand for a repeat event, Heathfield and Waldron Rotary Club have secured two top tribute acts to perform at this years outdoor concert on Saturday June 22nd. A fantastic evening is planned with performances by Abba-Arrival (ABBA) and Navi (MICHAEL JACKSON). Both of these acts can be previewed on You Tube! All ticket holders are invited to bring their own picnics and catering outlets will also be available. A sell out event is predicted, with advance tickets already selling well at £15 per adult and children at £7.50 This makes a significant saving on the gate price of £20/£10. Why not get your tickets now from Premier Travel, High Street, Heathfield Tel 01435 864222 or online at www.heathfieldrotary.org. For further information contact Rotarian Bob Taylor 07718539912 or visit the website.

• We are excited to announce that South Coast Fashion week has chosen to support Teenage Cancer Trust with their first ever event! Launching in May 2014, South Coast Fashion Week will be the biggest fashion event on the south coast. It will be a showcase for designers to exhibit and launch new collections and the ultimate shopping experience. Watch this space for more details and check out the website: www.southcoastfashionweek.co.uk

In and around Surrey

Your Local Contact: For all enquiries please contact jade.mcshane@teenagecancertrust.org

WHAT'S ON

Raise funds for us by walking round the beautiful Surrey countryside and then finishing with a full English cream tea. Two hour circular walk round Blackheath just south of Guildford on Wednesday 22 May. Meet at public car park on Littleford Lane (GU5 0RH) at 12.50. The walk will begin promptly at 1.00pm and will finish with tea, sandwiches, homemade scone clotted cream & jam and homemade cakes. £15 per person. Tea will be served on the lawn or around the swimming pool, at Hallams Farmhouse, Littleford Lane, Shamley Green, between 3.15 and 5.30. All cars to stay parked at the public Car Park. To reserve a place please contact Michelle 07923065224 or Linda 07733407609).

LATEST NEWS

Tom Hazell

When Tom Hazell knew that he was going to lose his hair again, he decided to face up to it (inspired by his school motto to ‘seek those things which are above’) and use this challenge to aim higher, do something good and give something back. On 7 May crowds of pupils and staff gathered on the quad at St John’s School Leatherhead as the wonderful Tom had his head shaved to raise money for us. So far his challenge has raised over £12,000 – he is truly an inspiration. Why not show support for Tom, watch his video and make a donation on his Virgin money giving page

Time for Talent Winner

Reigate College held a Time for Talent competition raising £250.00 and were thrilled when they heard the exciting news that their winner, Farida, had taken first place, winning a spot at Dumbfest. Photograph by Ryan Monshall.

Radio Marathon

A huge well done and thank you to Angus Wyatt and Owen Collins from Insanity Radio 103.2FM at Royal Holloway who stayed awake for the best part of 4 days in an attempt to gain donations for us and The Stroke Association. To date, they have raised over £700 for each charity, meaning their fundraising total is now over £1400, well above their original target of £1032. Unfortunately, due to a late clarification of rules by Guinness World Records, the duo were unable to officially register their attempt, but their 103.2 Hours (4 days, 7 hours, 12 minutes) spent on-air would have smashed the current official record of 74 hours.

Over the course of the marathon, the pair interviewed over 80 guests, including Nicola Irvine, Lucy and Sally Pullen from Teenage Cancer Trust, as well as London 2012 Gold Medal Paralympian Sophie Christiansen OBE and Natasha Baker MBE (pictured with Angus L and Owen R); Chris Hewitt, news editor of Empire Magazine; and countless friends and family members from Newcastle to Paris and from Bath to Kent.

The pair will be returning to the studio in early May for a reunion show during which they will be announcing a new fundraising total, shaving their heads and dressing in fancy dress for several hours. And as if that wasn’t enough, the pair will be saddling up with Natasha Baker and filming their attempt at dressage (despite neither of them having ever ridden a horse) with the intention of gaining further donations for The Stroke Association and Teenage Cancer Trust. To donate

Two Towers Challenge

The Two Towers Challenge took place in January 2013. 20 people travelled 400 miles from Crystal Palace to Blackpool in bangers worth no more than £250. The cars were dressed in weird and wonderful outfits and were quite a sight to behold! This event is organised by one of our Surrey fundraisers and all the money raised goes to Teenage Cancer Trust's Royal Marsden unit. For more information see The Two Towers Facebook page

Volunteer Fundraising groups

• We have fundraising groups in Haslemere and Weybridge. If you are interested in joining one of these groups or starting your own fundraising group please get in touch: southeast@teenagecancertrust.org

In and around Kent

Your Local Contact: For all enquiries please contact nicola.irvine@teenagecancertrust.org

Local Fundraising groups

• Tunbridge Wells has a local fundraising group, run and managed by volunteers to raise awareness of the work we do at a local level. If you would like to know more about this local group, contact the South East Team for further information.

What’s on?

• Christina Dengate has set up the Smile 100 Project. The aim of this project is to ask 100 people to share their cancer stories and pictures. The final 100 will form a gallery, to raise money for cancer charities, including Teenage Cancer Trust. Check out this fascinating project on Smile100Project and the amazing stories already posted. Do you have a story to tell? Head to their Facebook page now facebook.com/Smile100Project

• Thanks to Smeeth and Brabourne Football Club who have chosen us as their Charity of the Year. They aiming to raise £3,000 by the summer. Good luck to all our footballing fundraisers!

Latest News

Sainsbury's Youth Forum are busy raising money for us in Kent. The Sittingbourne group raised a fantastic £510 by holding a quiz night and bucket collection. While the Maidstone group have an in-store cycle challenge to do the distance from the store to our unit at the Royal Marsden and back. Watch this space for further updates.

Thank You to Nikki Groom and Amanda Davies who put on a Ball in Broadstairs in October in memory of Nicole Dryburgh and raised an incredible £2,000 towards Nicole’s Fund.

In and around Berkshire

Your local contact: nicola.irvine@teenagecancertrust.org

Local Fundraising Groups

Would you like to help us set up a fundraising group in your area, managed by local volunteers. Fundraising groups are a fantastic way to raise awareness of what we do at a local level. Please do get in touch with Beth Bartlam if you would like to know more.