Education United Kingdom Project #27709

Positive Steps

by Teens Unite Fighting Cancer

Project Report | Jun 13, 2022
Family fun as we meet the Pacycephalosaurus

By Lesley Morris | Head of Trust Income & Partnerships

Luxury afternoon Tea for the Teens & their family

When a young person is diagnosed with cancer, it impacts the whole family – changes in roles and responsibilities, impacts finances, and worries about the future all take their toll. For siblings, there is a negative impact on their feelings of security, they face uncertainty, fear and anxiety – their life is destabilised. At Teens Unite, we recognise this and host regular events for siblings and families.

Since our last report, we hosted a Family Day at the Paradise Wildlife Park – one of Hertfordshire’s top attractions, and a very generous supporter of the Charity. The young people and their families got to spend valuable time together, make happy memories and meet other families in a similar situation, whose lives had also been impacted by cancer. Meeting others who have experienced similar situations in their life can really help at a difficult time, both for those going through treatment and those who have been through it.

The families were able to explore all that Paradise Wildlife Park has to offer – they got up close and personal with the Big Cats – white lions, tigers, and snow leopards; met zebras, reindeer, tapirs, and camels; laughed at the antics of the armadillo and the meerkats, wondered whether the two-toed sloth was ever going to wake up and fell in love with the park’s favourite red Panda, Tilly. They faced their fears as the got close to crocodiles, snakes, lizards and spiders; And, took a step back in time to meet cunning velociraptors, terrifying Spinosaurus and the unpronounceable Pacycephalosaurus at the most spectacular animatronic dinosaur attraction.

The families all then headed to the Charity’s Head Office for an Afternoon Tea with a difference. The Charity’s home is The Old Police Station, so the families were treated to a unique experience, luxury afternoon tea in a Police Cell.

Creating special memories can be very important for the families of the young people we support. And this day was full of opportunity to do just that. So, to everyone who has supported our project, from the Charity, the young people and their families, a very special and very big Thank You.

Family Fun

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Feb 14, 2022
A Winter Wonderland of Wonder

By Lesley Morris | Head of Trust Income & Partnerships

In early December, we met with 13 young adults (all fighting cancer and its long-term effects), along with some of their siblings and parents at Winter Wonderland– it’s described as the world's best destination for festive fun, in the heart of London – and that’s certainly what we were hoping for. The venue was perfect for meeting new people, catching up with old friends, and socialising as we enjoyed the festive fayre and festive fun.

As we met, we took part in some ice breaker activities so that we could get to know the new friends and reconnect with those we had met before. After initial introductions and learning a few fun facts about each other we took off for the Giant Wheel, where we were able to see London’s epic skyline from above our Hyde Park home, many of us holding our breath as we were whisked up to 70 metres high in the tallest transportable wheel in the world!

For some of the young people, the Giant Wheel just wasn’t exciting enough, and they took to the XXL - this ride is a high G-force pendulum style ride which swings to heights of 47 metres with a claw that rotates at high speed – too much for some of us!

It was a good job the young people did that ride before we headed for some food. Winter Wonderland has a huge selection of street food stalls with foods from across the globe. From our work, we know that the “table” is said to act as a "place of community” and eating together gives everyone the opportunity to talk, express themselves and for any issues or concerns to be heard. So, coming together like this always forms a central part of any of our activities, and is a great opportunity for the young people and their families to really connect.

After lunch, we wandered through the many stalls in the Bavarian Village, took part in the activities and revelled in the skills of the entertainers. Walking around the stalls with a lovely mug of hot chocolate gave another opportunity to get to know each other and build networks, both for the young people, their siblings, and their parents.

Feedback from the young people who attended the event shows that 100% felt more connected, 100% felt less isolated and lonely and 100% would recommend our activities to another young person.

Joining us for this magical Christmas event, the young people were able to meetothers who genuinely get what they're going through, reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness and enjoy a new experience with the friends they’ve made. To everyone who has supported our project, a huge thank you.

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Oct 27, 2021
Using art to cement a unique bond

By Lesley Morris | Head of Trust Income & Partnerships

Cancer is tough, but it doesn’t have to be lonely, and we are here for our beneficiaries every step of the way. We let the young people know that they are not alone in feeling the way that they do, and our activities, under the umbrella of Positive Steps, bring together young cancer patients in their teens and early twenties who get what each other are going through.

Beneficiaries sign up to our digital and face-to-face activities and come along as soon as they feel ready – the activities are free to attend and there’s no limit on how many they can come along to.

Some young people are in need of a distraction from treatment, some are looking to regain their fitness, some feel ready to think about a return to education or early employment, and some just want to socialise with others their age.

Since our last report, we have been encouraging beneficiaries to get creative with a series of activities which include cooking and baking, upcycling, music and arts and crafts.

For one of our early returns to face-to-face activities, all done in line with Government Guidelines and ensuring we do all that we can to protect the young people and their already weakened immune systems, we took them to the iconic Leake Street Tunnel in London – the City’s largest, legal graffiti wall. It’s over 300m long and hosts an everchanging collection of amazing street art.

The origins of graffiti are incredibly relevant - originally graffiti was used to create a motif of “connection” for soldiers during difficult times, cementing their unique brotherhood – Teens Unite brings together young people who share a common experience, fighting cancer in their teenage and young adult years.

On the day, the young people were hosted by Street Artist Danny who goes by the moniker ZincStyles. Using the skills that he has honed over the last ten years, he inspired them to create a six-foot mural of the word “Unite”. There was lots of encouragement among the beneficiaries as they explored their own creativity, expressed themselves and were distracted from everyday life for a while.

They then headed to another great venue – Draughts, London’s seminal Board Game Venue with over 1000 Board Games, great food, and a real opportunity to disconnect from technology and really connect with each other, getting to know each other, talk, laugh, and celebrate what they had achieved.

To everyone who has supported our project, a huge thank you. With your help, we are able to support thriving social connections for young people living with cancer and its long-term effects.

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