Clic Sargent - sadly a necessary charity.

One of the topics suggested for The Ultimate Blogging Challenge was

• Share a post about your favourite charity, how they make a difference, and how others can get involved.

The first charity that springs to mind for me is a charity called CLIC Sargent. It is the one charity I hope we never need to call upon, I feel childhood cancer must be every parents nightmare.

CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and their families. We provide clinical, practical, financial and emotional support to help them cope with cancer and get the most out of life. We are there from diagnosis onwards and aim to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement.

CLIC Sargent recognises that every child or young person with cancer has a different experience. A cancer diagnosis also affects the whole family in many different ways, so we take time to listen and understand. Our aim is to help ensure that the whole family receives the support which works best for them.

• We provide clinical, practical and emotional support to children and young people with cancer, and their families

• We give financial support including grants and benefits information to children and young people with cancer to help deal with the financial impact of cancer

• We provide free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation close to specialist hospitals, so that families can be close to their children during treatment

• We offer free holidays and short breaks so that families can spend time together, with the support of our care professionals, away from the everyday challenges of childhood cancer

• We provide children, young people and families with a wide range of valuable information on childhood cancer and its impact

• We campaign and influence others to raise awareness of the needs of children and young people with cancer and to improve the support they receive.

The one that sticks out for me here is The Home from Home, this must prove to be such a huge lifeline for parents, especially those with other children. 

A Home from Home is a place where you and your family can stay for free, so that you can be close to your child during their treatment. CLIC Sargent has eight Homes from Home around the UK. These are located within a 10-minute walk of the principal treatment centres in Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Nottingham, Oxford and Southampton

They also offer holiday homes:

offering holidays for young people and their families during and after treatment, as well as shorter breaks during the weekends or low season

They do various events up and down the country to fund the charity including bike rides, runs, white water rafting, why not have a look see what is available in your area here?  Not to mention the one that appeals to me a zip slide across the Clyde. 

They like a lot of charities really depend on the general public, be that raising funds or working as a volunteer. It is a sad shame that there is a need for a charity like this, but why not have a look what they offer and see if you could help with an event in your area?