About Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust exists to improve the survival and quality of life for young people with cancer in the UK. Funded entirely through donations we raised £17m in 2024 and employ c150 staff, funding a further c100 roles in the NHS.
An energetic and young people focused organisation, we’ve transformed cancer care and support for young people since our founding in 1990. Before we started there was no such thing as specialist cancer care for young people. Teenagers and young adults with cancer were treated like children or older adults, with no regard for their unique physical, emotional or social needs. We disrupted the status quo, fighting for age-appropriate care and support for young people with cancer. We pioneered Teenage & Young Adult cancer as a specialism – and we’ve grown to become a global leader in the field.
Now…
- Around half of all young people in the UK with cancer are treated on Teenage Cancer Trust wards, by people who understand them and their needs.
- Thanks to our outreach service, more and more young people with cancer can get support from specialist Teenage Cancer Trust Nurses or youth support teams, wherever they live.
- Every day we bring young people with cancer together as a community, so they can support each other, through treatment and into recovery.
- And most importantly, we’ve seen hugely promising increases in survival rates for teenagers and young adults across nearly all cancer types.
We’ve come a long way, but there’s so much more to do.
We still can’t reach every young person who needs us. And we know the numbers of young people with cancer will significantly increase by 2030. We are in the process of significant transformation to ensure we can meet the needs of young people with cancer in the future.
Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer. We’re here for anyone diagnosed with cancer aged 13-24.
Our work in numbers:
- We fund 28 Teenage Cancer Trust wards in NHS hospitals across the UK.
- In 2024 we invested a total of £11.1m in care and support for young people with cancer.
- Each year we support around 2,200 newly diagnosed young people with cancer and their loved ones.
- Every few hours in the UK, a young person hears the words “you have cancer”.
We are values-led, inclusive, and committed to delivering lasting change for people affected by cancer.
As we enter the next stage of our evolution, the Teenage Cancer Trust is working with Green Park to find our new Chief Operating Officer.
This critical leadership role will work towards the future of Teenage Cancer Trust, as we continue our ambitious transformation to ensure we can meet the needs of young people with cancer in the UK, not just now but in the years to come.
With the current postholder moving to an exciting CEO role in another national Charity, we are keen to find someone who can maintain the progress already made towards our transformation and who will bring their own unique flair to the role. We look forward to hearing from you.
Please find our 2023 annual report below, our 2024 report is due imminently and it will be uploaded below when available.