Our Story
For the last 35 years, we’ve been working tirelessly to fund vital research, support families and raise awareness.
– 1986
For us, it’s personal
It started with one diagnosis. Followed by another.
In December 1986, Paul O’Gorman was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 14, and his sister Jean O’Gorman was diagnosed with breast cancer in the Spring of 1987.
Both tragically lost their lives within months of each other. On 6 February 1987, 14 year old Paul passed away, the O’Gorman family made him a promise to help other children and young people facing the same situation, and Children with Cancer UK was born.
– 1988
It’s thanks to Princess Diana that the charity was born
Children with Cancer UK originally began as Children with Leukaemia.
In 1987, days after Jean’s death on 2 November 1987, Marion and Eddie met Diana, Princess of Wales.
Deeply moved by the family’s double tragedy she became personally involved with the charity, and officially inaugurated it on 12 January 1988 at Mill Hill Secondary School.
We were greatly enriched by her support and friendship, and shall always remember her with fondness and infinite gratitude.
– 1995
Paul O’Gorman research centre
When the charity began, our first goal was to raise £100,000 for research and support. Within four years over £1 million had been raised, and by 1995 we had raised the £2 million needed to open our first research centre.
The first Paul O’Gorman Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital made more clinical and laboratory-based research possible, resulting in kinder, more effective treatments for children with leukaemia.
– 2000
Minimal Residual Disease testing adopted by NHS
In the early 2000s, we co-funded elements of a major, ground-breaking clinical trial which led to one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of childhood leukaemia.
The Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) test, which measures how much leukaemia remains after treatment and how likely it is that a child will relapse, is now used by the NHS and in hospitals worldwide.
– 2004
The first Paul O’Gorman patient hotel opens to help families stay close to their child during hospital treatment. Our first international scientific conference was held and we invested a further £1 million into research.
– 2006
Ever more research into causes and possible treatments was needed with research published in 2006 showing that the number of children diagnosed with leukaemia had increased by 50% in 30 years up to the 1990s.
– 2010
By the end of 2010, we had supported several major projects including a major UK-wide trial which changed how the NHS treated children with leukaemia.
– 2011
To reflect the shift from focusing specifically on leukaemia to all childhood cancers, we officially changed our name to Children with Cancer UK.
– 2018
Thanks to charities like ours, life-saving research and breakthroughs in treating childhood cancer, survival rates have improved from 67.3% in 1990 to 85.2% in 2018.
– 2019
We officially began our partnership with Beads of Courage UK to bring strength and support to families when they need it most.
– Present
Until every child survives
To date, Children with Cancer UK has:
- raised over £300 million funded over 300 research projects
- invested almost £10 million in family homes near hospitals
- hosted ‘amazing days out’ for 75,000+ patients and their families.
But there is still much more to do. We will not stop until we have achieved our vision.
Ho Chi Minh to Angkor Wat Cycle
Cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia for Children with Cancer UK through amazing landscape on this impressive cycle event. Cycle through
“Childhood Cancer Shatters Families”
Having experienced first hand the devastating emotional damage that our family faced when our six month old son Ted was
Understanding MLL leukaemia and identifying targets which could increase survival
Dr Clynes is studying the biology of a group of hard-to-treat leukaemias. This research could ultimately lead to new treatments