RESIDENTS in Warwickshire are being called on to clear out their wardrobes to help more children and young people survive cancer.
The Give Up Clothes for Good campaign is being run by retailer TK Maxx in support of Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People.
Donations of preloved clothes, and homeware, can be dropped off at any of the TK Maxx stores in the area. And when sold in Cancer Research shops, each bag of items donated could raise up to £25 for research into children’s and young people’s cancers.
Every year, around 160 children are diagnosed with the disease in Warwickshire and the West Midlands. But thanks in part to the charity’s work across the UK, more youngsters are now surviving than ever before.
Cancer Research UK celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022 but its history dates back to the founding of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in 1902.
Its discoveries and research breakthroughs have helped to transform children’s cancer survival in the UK. This has more than doubled since the 1970s when just over a third of children diagnosed survived beyond ten years. Today, it’s around eight in 10 – but there’s still much further to go.
The West Midlands is home to Cancer Research UK’s Children’s Cancer Trials Team in Birmingham, the only one of its kind in the UK. The team puts the region at the forefront of children’s cancer research and coordinates groundbreaking clinical trials in many centres across the UK, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
These trials make innovative new treatments available to children with cancer, giving them the chance to benefit from the latest discoveries.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Warwickshire, Jane Redman, said: “As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the huge progress that has been made thanks to the generosity of our supporters. But, cancer still claims around 500 young lives every year in the UK.
“Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults – from the types of cancer to the impact of treatment and the long-term side effects survivors often experience. So, it needs more research which campaigns like Give Up Clothes for Good help to fund.
“We want to help ensure more people under the age of 25 in Warwickshire, and across the UK, survive cancer with a good quality of life. So, we hope as many people as possible will donate any quality clothes or goods to their local TK Maxx store in Coventry, Nuneaton, Stratford or Leamington. Not only could they help to save lives, they’ll also be reducing their environmental impact by giving their pre-loved items another lease of life.”
