Leading children and young people’s cancer charity set to transform research with new strategy

A leading charity for children and young people with cancer has today launched its bold new research strategy that will lead the way in improving treatment and care for children and young people (CYP) with cancer.

CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association’s new strategy will encompass all cancers affecting those aged 0-24 and span the full spectrum of research activities, from funding ground-breaking projects to leading and influencing the future of cancer research.

The strategy is intended to inspire and support the growth of the CYP cancer research field, bringing together funders, researchers, patients, survivors and families. Its strategy sets out how CCLG will address the top research priorities identified by young people, their families, and professionals, as well as how it will support the research community, encourage and build collaboration between research funders.

Ashley Ball-Gamble, CEO of CCLG, said: “Our strategy marks a turning point for children and young people’s cancer research. It’s not just words on a page, it’s a commitment to action and collaboration, a focused vision for research that will deliver real impact.

“With it, we hope to lead progress into safer and more effective treatments, care, and support.”

At the heart of the progressive strategy are CCLG’s four key ambitions. They aim to:

1. develop a coordinated, collaborative approach to CYP cancer research

2. fund the best research, led by the best minds

3. put lived experience at the heart of CYP cancer research

4. support a thriving CYP cancer research community

The strategy demonstrates a renewed commitment to being inclusive for all types of research and researcher, funding underserved areas, and focusing on the issues that matter most to patients and families.

Dr Becky Hill, Co-Chair of CCLG’s Research Advisory Group, said: “Our diverse community will bring together experts from different tumour groups, training backgrounds, and career stages. Coupled with our strategy to harness lived experience, we will develop a collaborative community with a renewed focus and motivation, where new ideas can foster innovation in all areas of research.”

Lisa Radcliffe became involved in CCLG’s work after her son George was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in 2022, at three years old. George died just over a year later, in October 2023, after the cancer spread and there were no further treatment options. Lisa and her husband David set up the Just George Special Named Fund with CCLG in memory of George, which has now raised almost £200,000 for research into rhabdomyosarcoma.

In addition to her fundraising, Lisa joined CCLG’s Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group so that she could have a say in the direction of CYP research. Her experience, together with that of other families, has helped shape the core of the new research strategy.

Lisa feels strongly that families like hers need to feel that their child’s experience was not in vain.

She said: "We want to be heard and seen, and to know that we can help make a difference. The process of building this strategy, with CCLG, is just the start of lived experiences being at the heart of children and young people‘s cancer research.

“It gives us hope when, for some of us, hope was taken away by cancer.”

Lisa, from Isleham in Cambridgeshire, believes CCLG’s role in bringing CYP cancer organisations together to progress research is particularly important.

She said: “Without drive and coordinated, collaborative approaches, childhood cancer research could continue in isolation with little advancement. Organisations with joint goals and priorities must work together, share expertise and be committed to driving progress as one network.”

Sarah Evans, Head of Research at CCLG, concluded: “We won’t stop our vital work until every patient has a safe and effective cure for their cancer. With this five-year strategy, we reaffirm this commitment to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer through science, collaboration, and lived experience.”