In just a couple of days, we’ll be in the new year. We have some big and exciting plans for 2025, and we are looking forward to getting started. But, before we get too excited about the future, I wanted to reflect on all the amazing things that your support has helped achieve this year.
A huge ‘£30 million milestone’ reached
Since we started funding research in 2016, the CCLG Research Funding Network has funded over £30,000,000 of research! That has supported 209 research projects, over 100 of which are still active.
How the £30 million is split between cancer types.
Of course, we couldn’t have done this without the other charities in the CCLG Research Funding Network, who trust us to select and run top-tier research projects. Our long-term partnership with The Little Princess Trust has been especially vital in reaching this milestone, with around £25 million of this research funded by the LPT and administered by CCLG.
Just think of all the progress being made in developing new treatments, understanding how cancer develops, and improving care! This year we’ve funded more late effects projects than ever before, recognising the impact that cancer and its treatment has on children’s later lives.
What this year’s projects have focused on.
Celebrating our amazing fundraising families
We also need to thank our amazing Special Named Funds for their contributions to childhood cancer research. The Special Named Funds are parents, families, and communities raising money for research into their loved ones’ type of cancer. Sometimes this is in memory of a child, or parents might set their fund up whilst their child goes through treatment.
This year, they have funded eight research projects and raised over £500,000 for childhood cancer research. Their dedication is truly incredible, and we are honoured to be entrusted with their fundraising.
Sharing the impact of our research with the public
This year saw the return of the CCLG Research Discovery Day – an event for parents and families to learn about the latest science from our expert researchers. This year, we travelled to Leeds and joined forces with Candlelighters, Yorkshire’s top children’s cancer charity, to spread awareness about research even further.
Photos from the CCLG Research Discovery Day 2024.
It was an interactive day, with researchers taking the chance to get to know families and learn what is important to them. Scott Crowther, founder of the Pass The Smile for Ben Special Named Fund, opened the event with a poignant talk about his son Ben and why he supports research.
He said that events like this are vital:
Hearing about our kids really helps scientists understand the impact of their work, and I hope it also helps the other families to hear our story and about how we are trying to drive research. It's essential that this sort of event carries on happening.
You can view the recordings, including Scott’s talk, here.
Enabling research to be more diverse and inclusive
This year we launched two grant schemes aiming to support researcher development. The early career researcher grants, which used cancer samples provided by the VIVO biobank, helped researchers gain experience in leading projects whilst gathering vital data for the fight against cancer. This could help prepare them for the next stage in their career – running their own research team.
ive of our new researchers (Left to right: Minatallah Al-Yozbaki, Debbi Rowley, Elitza Deltcheva, Laura Sealy, and Juliana Fabiana Miranda).
Traditionally, childhood cancer research has been carried out by doctors or academics. However, as the saying goes, ‘variation is the spice of life’. Different professions bring different perspectives and recognise different challenges.
This is why we launched our nursing and allied health professional grants to help the other people who care for children with cancer have a say in research. The two projects funded, led by a dietitian and a physiotherapist, are practical and could be a big benefit for children with cancer. They address challenges that allied health professionals see in the clinic and on the wards, like how best to support children’s nutrition during osteosarcoma or how to prepare children for a stem cell transplant.
Looking towards The North Star vision
In 2022, we joined forces with Young Lives vs Cancer, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and Teenage Cancer Trust to commission research from the Dartington Service Design Lab to look at where support and care for children and young people with cancer is lacking.
This year, we published the report, detailing the current state of the system and giving evidence-based suggestions on how to improve support for young people facing cancer. Data for the report came from over 1,500 people, including patients, families, and cancer professionals.
The ‘state of the system’ report.
Key issues included a lack of support and awareness of the mental health challenges of cancer, information about cancer that was too complicated, and the need for whole-family support.
The findings helped us form our collective North Star vision for the future:
Every child and young person facing cancer receives care that’s tailored to them. They feel informed and in control, and along with their families can make knowledgeable decisions about their care and future. They feel empowered every step of the way, facing no gaps in support or barriers to access. They have everything they need from the beginning of their cancer experience, during treatment and for as long as they need it afterwards.
Thank you
This year has highlighted the importance of working together – from the North Star vision, which can only be achieved if we join forces, to the success of the CCLG Research Discovery Day in collaboration with Candlelighters, and the amazing research funded by The Little Princess Trust and our Special Named Funds.
All of this has only been possible with your support and we’d like to thank you for everything you have done this year – from fundraising to sharing Facebook posts, attending events to answering surveys, and from raising awareness to reading this blog. Everything counts and everything helps.
Now all that’s left to say is – see you in 2025! We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on, and to continue making progress for children and young people with cancer.
Ellie Ellicott is CCLG’s Research Communication Executive.
She is using her lifelong fascination with science to share the world of childhood cancer research with CCLG’s fantastic supporters. You can find Ellie on X: @EllieW_CCLG
