News | 04 Dec 2020

Vodafone helps young people with cancer to #KeepConnecting

This weekend (5-6 December) Vodafone is supporting Teenage Cancer Trust’s first ever virtual 'Find Your Sense of Tumour' event for 18-to-27-year-olds who have - or have had - cancer.

The event, which the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) has run since 2001, usually offers 100 or so young people who have experienced cancer the chance to enjoy a weekend retreat filled with activities and opportunities to share their experiences.

It gives young people the chance “to be around other people who know what I’ve been through”, says former participant Molly Trevor.

“I liked the workshops at ‘Find Your Sense of Tumour’,” she added. “The one about improving confidence was my favourite.”

But this year, like so many other events, face-to-face fun has had to give way to online talks and workshops on topics such as ‘Cancer Hair Care’ and ‘Morgan Stanley CV Skills’.

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And going virtual has brought its own challenges. The Trust was concerned about a lack of data and devices preventing some youngsters from taking part. So it contacted Vodafone, which has provided free internet access to specialist Teenage Cancer Trust hospital wards in the past, to ask for help.

“Teenage Cancer Trust reached out to us as they’d recognised that some young people had no access to connectivity at home,” says Helen Lamprell, General Counsel & External Affairs Director, Vodafone UK.

“So we we sent out 16 Mi-Fi devices offering unlimited data connectivity for a 90-day period, and five tablets, to ensure all those keen to take part could do so.”

Kelly Scott, TCT’s Head of Youth Engagement and Development, said: “We are so grateful to Vodafone for supporting this year’s event by providing Mi-Fi units and tablets.

“Being online means this year’s ‘Find Your Sense of Tumour’ will look a little different to previous events – but rest assured we’re working hard to make sure the virtual weekend is just as interactive, inspirational, and fun-filled as ever!”

Named by the young people it is designed to support, ‘Find Your Sense of Tumour’ weekends are generally run twice a year by TCT. This weekend’s event, is aimed at young people aged 18 to 27, but a 13-to-18-year-old version is planned for June 2021, and may also be held virtually, the charity said.

To find out more about the event, click here.

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