Welcome
We’ve had a lot to celebrate this summer; we were delighted to support the head and neck cancer team as they marked 20 years of specialist care with an anniversary conference. We also celebrated a decade of UCH at Westmoreland Street - both incredible milestones for patients and staff at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
Thanks to your generosity, your donations continue to improve cancer care at UCLH. Complementary therapy eases anxiety for teenagers and young adults, amenity kits ensure that patients who need to stay over have the essentials, nebulisers relieve symptoms from head and neck cancer treatment, and much more, all made possible through generous gifts. Thank to you, we’re able to approve more funding requests than ever before, at a time when we’re experiencing a considerable increase in applications from staff.
On behalf of our UCLH patients, and the staff who care for them, thank you!
With gratitude,
The Cancer Fund team
Scalp Cooling Success!
We are immensely grateful to everyone who contributed to our scalp cooling campaign – thanks to your incredible support, we have provided two brand new scalp cooling units. Based in the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre, these innovative devices keep patients’ scalps cool during chemotherapy, lessening damage to the hair follicle, and reducing hair-loss.
With special thanks to Unique Sports Group, for their tremendous generosity and who’s donation made this campaign a reality.
Our new children's cancer appeal
Help make cancer treatment better for children
Next year radiotherapy services for children from South London and the South-East of England will be transferred to UCLH, as part of a children’s cancer service transfer from The Royal Marsden Hospital to Evelina Children’s Hospital. This means that the UCLH radiotherapy unit will see all young patients from Great Ormond Street Hospital, Oxford Children’s Hospital, Southampton Children’s Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital. Soon UCLH will treat more than half of all children with cancer receiving radiotherapy in England, making it one of the largest children’s radiotherapy centres in the UK. Families will travel miles because of the expertise of our medical teams, who are among the very best in the world. But while our clinical care is outstanding, the hospital environment where these children spend so much of their time desperately needs to be updated to reflect the world class care being provided to very sick children. Claire, Lead Health Play Specialist, Radiotherapy Services told us:
“As a Play Specialist, I know how important friendly and comfortable play spaces are. They bring normality to a child’s time here and help them relax, which makes a huge difference to how they cope with treatment and recovery.”
Cody was diagnosed in 2023 with a stage four Germ Cell Tumour. He’s had nine different chemotherapy treatments and is currently undergoing six weeks of radiotherapy at UCLH. Children are often separated from their parents during procedures, and while the treatment itself is painless, the whole experience can be overwhelming. Specialists do everything they can to support children through play therapy, reassurance and distraction - but the environment itself is stark, clinical and, in many places, could be more child-friendly. One recovery room, where children wake after anaesthesia, is a bare space with bright white lights and medical equipment. Parents and staff tell us they wish it could be a warm and reassuring place, but NHS resources can’t stretch to refurbishments. The playroom, designed to reduce anxiety and help children relax before treatment, hasn’t been updated for ten years. Walls are in desperate need of fresh colour and paint, cupboards need to be updated or repaired, and toys and activities are severely limited. The small isolation room, essential for protecting children with weakened immune systems, urgently needs to be modernised. For families already going through the most distressing time of their lives, the radiotherapy unit feels unwelcoming and bleak, a space that doesn’t reflect the world-class care and compassion of our staff.
“Children having treatment for cancer spend so much of their precious childhoods in hospital it’s really important the spaces are inviting, accessible, and a place where they can be children.” Shona, Cody’s Mum
Support beyond treatment
We are proud to fund a dedicated Youth Support Co-Ordinator, helping our young patient’s find some normality during their treatment, and ensuring that their care is patient-focused throughout. Jessie tells us more about this crucial role.
“As Youth Support Coordinator each day is hugely different depending on the likes, interests and needs of the young people on the ward, but often you'll find me completing arts and crafts projects with young people, recently we have decorated jewellery boxes, made bracelets, and crocheted keyrings, or wellbeing activities, such as yoga and relaxation sessions. Another huge part of the role is focused on food and nutrition and finding ways to improve this during a tricky time of taste bud changes. I particularly enjoy our pizza club nights, breakfast clubs, making toasties and pancakes, and providing yummy snacks during movie nights.
The role of a Youth Support Coordinator is important for young people with cancer, as it can be a very isolating experience. Often they share that they feel like they have lost parts of themselves, and therefore my role is to help them to continue to feel like the young person they are. Young people have shared how grateful they are for having a talking space away from their family to share their worries, but to also have someone to enjoy having a laugh and sharing stories with.
The Cancer Fund have been able to support me in providing the necessary time, by funding my role, and resources for our young people. I am particularly excited to work towards offering a weekly smoothie club - providing alternative nutrients and vitamins will be wonderful for us.
Without the support on the Cancer Fund, we would be limited in the exciting opportunities that we can offer our young people, and these play a huge part in finding some normality for them during an incredibly scary time.”
Isle of Wight Challenge for the TRACERx Lung Cancer Study
By Sarah Li
It was the wrong side of Christmas and we had just bid farewell to 2024 - the year I got cancer. The rain was dripping from dusty lugubrious skies and I was on a soggy walk with my dog, Bowie. I could see where the need to set a new goal came from.
In February, I had signed up to my first overseas marathon in Valencia! Before training had begun, however, in April I received the devastating diagnosis: I had lung cancer. My lungs that had breathed for me for 40 years, in dozens of countries, puffed their way around 6 marathons - had tumours in them. Running was still on my mind but my lungs were unable to carry me.
Treatment was immediate - 9 weeks of radical chemoradiation. By the time the treatment was finished in July, I could barely walk two streets to the polling booth. Covering 500 metres on foot was governed by fear, pain and breathlessness.
To balance out recovery and a prescribed immunotherapy treatment, I found a yin yoga studio, and won the postcode lottery with an NHS physical rehabilitation programme. Gradually, pain subsided, breaths became deeper and walks with Bowie became longer.
When 2025 came, my goal was to ease the physical and emotional trauma of the past year. Walking had been my friend throughout and so I leant into that relationship. After exploring walks that the UK had to offer, I found the Isle of Wight Challenge. The whole circumference of the island is 100km, but I could do half. The route was along costal paths, had 900m of elevation and a 15-hour cut off time. Doable. Potentially.
Following the advice of Kevin Costner in Fields of Gold “build it and they will come”, I signed up. Soon beautiful friends, incredible cousins and my superhero partner Robin did too. With busy lifestyles, kids, full time jobs and some of them, little inclination for exercise, they showed up. My heart is forever with my Young Lungs team (the name we gave ourselves).
A week after signing up, I received the news I had progression on my brain, my cancer was now incurable. Somehow, I continued putting one foot in front of the other. Once I recovered from gamma knife surgery, the structured training, provided by my rehabilitation programme, began.
In May - a year after the first chemotherapy drug entered my veins, I crossed the start line of my first ever ultramarathon. We reached the first stop at 15km; toenails were intact, bowels good, lungs happy! By halfway there were blisters, a few ‘nature’ loo stops, but vibes were 10/10. Darkness descended and we were still walking. Crossing the 50km signpost, I took my daily Osimertinib tablet – my targeted treatment that is keeping me alive! After 14 hours of walking this was quite simply the most extraordinary reminder of how remarkable this little pill is.
Holding each other up, and crossed the finish line to Black Box’s “Ride on Time” whose lyrics spoke directly to my lungs, my body and my team:
“Gotta get up, Gotta get up, gotta get up | Thank thank thank you baby | Gotta get up, Gotta get up, gotta get up | Walk right in.”
Together, we “walked right in”, achieving a bigger goal than any previous marathon. Along the way we raised over £14,500 for TRACERx - a study looking at overturning the resistance my cancer will eventually build up towards my miracle pill.
Sleeper chairs
We’re delighted that our five new sleeper chairs have arrived. These versatile chairs transform into beds, giving patients’ families and loved ones a comfortable place to rest. Whether it’s a late-night visit or a longer stay, we know how important it is to be close to the people you care about during treatment. These chairs help make that possible - bringing both comfort and peace of mind.
A special thank you to Grace, whose fundraising in memory of her boyfriend’s dad, Phil, helped make this purchase possible. Earlier this year, Grace ran the Edinburgh Marathon, and her efforts have directly supported families staying by their loved ones’ side.
Movement ABC
Another exciting piece of kit we’ve recently purchased is the ‘Movement ABC’, helping physiotherapists to monitor mobility changes for young patients.
“The Movement ABC assessment allows therapists to use standardised measures to monitor children and young people’s motor abilities and how they are impacted by their diagnosis. The assessment is fun and engaging and kids love doing it as it often just feels like a game to them!
Standardised assessments provide validity and help to guide the intervention process. On paediatric cancer wards, patients often come in and out and spend longer times with us. The movement ABC allows us to assess patients’ mobility and motor skills in depth and see any areas they excel in, as well as any areas they need some further support in, that may have been impacted by our patient’s diagnosis or treatment. This may be things such as balance, co-ordination, handwriting or other fine-motor skills. We can target these areas in our sessions and feedback this information to families, school, and the community team, so they can continue to support these patients across all settings. With the increase in Radiotherapy patients coming through it is a great assessment tool.”
London Marathon 2026
By Gurdas Singh
“Life just isn't fair, but at least there are people out there willing to fight against the unfairness anyway. And that's why I'm running the London Marathon for the UCLH Cancer Fund.
At medical school I saw how cancer affected people around me, including patients, and I hated how powerless we have been against it. It feels like there are so many people who are losing their lives to something that they have no control over. And cancer just doesn't discriminate. I remember working during COVID-19 and whilst I was trying to help people in ITU, my mum was having to go through the 'two week wait' for potential cancer. I remember stepping out of the wards and just praying that it was anything but cancer.
Now, we're in a situation where cancer has got its way. My partner's brother, who has already battled cancer before as a child is now living with it terminally. And this just isn't fair. However, he's been receiving care at UCLH and the support him and his family have been given is a testament to the people working there who are willing to fight this awful disease. I strongly believe that cancer will be curable at some point in my life, and until then, I appreciate those who go above and beyond to support those who are fighting it.
As someone who for years said they'd never run unless someone was chasing them, I’ve found myself running several half marathons and 10ks, with two marathons coming up. Both marathons will be representing UCLH Cancer Fund, because I hope to do as much as I can to make cancer curable sooner.
I've been inspired to take on this challenge because we’ve been rocked by how cancer has affected us and those around us, and I can only imagine how much this feeling magnifies given how many people live with and fight cancer every day. And if I can raise money to eradicate it, I will try my best to do so.
Training has been very difficult (though, I still did my 34km long run!), but having something worth running for makes all the difference. And being able to wear the UCLH Cancer Fund vest will probably make me cry during it, but the feeling of representing something I believe in is all that matters to me.
Thus far, a lot of my fundraising has been thanks to my mum. Not only is she a carer for my dad, but every single Wednesday, she holds a coffee morning for older people in her local community, and a substantive part of that is using her talent as a baker to raise money for the Cancer Fund. For someone who has gone through so much, I'm very proud to say that my mum will not only be cheering me on the sidelines of the marathons, but will help me in fundraising for them too.
Finally, as someone who is now running for UCLH's Cancer Fund, I'd highly recommend it. Tori especially has made my fundraising journey so easy, and continues to check in on how my partner's brother is doing. It genuinely feels like we have just formed a team rather than me fundraising alone. I hope those of you reading this will also join the fundraising efforts that UCLH's Cancer Fund take part in. Even if you do a 5k, that's an insane effort, and one I still look back on as a huge undertaking when I first started. It's never too late, and what better reason to do so than the fight against cancer.”
Harry's Legacy
By Daniel Flitterman
Harry Flitterman was eight years old when he was first diagnosed with leukaemia whilst on holiday in the USA with his family, in 2011. After three weeks in hospital in Philadelphia, he was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital on his return to London and was under their care for six years, including a bone marrow transplant in 2015. After it became apparent that his leukaemia had returned in 2017, he was transferred to UCLH ward T12N, under the expert care of Professor Rachel Hough and her excellent team. Harry died aged 16 at the beginning of 2020 and spent a very large part of the last two years of his eight and a half year leukaemia journey on T12N. As his parents and siblings describe, he was so at home there. They are also very keen to emphasise that the love, care, and attention he received from the nursing team, all the doctors under Professor Hough’s guidance, the play team and the education team was second to none, and Harry just felt comfortable and safe there. The care was nothing short of phenomenal from everyone and they remember so vividly how loved and supported he felt. During this two-year period, he received a fortnightly massage service, which most definitely helped him to relax and which he loved. It became more and more important to him as he became more and more unwell, but sadly towards the end, the funding for the service was withdrawn and it was no longer available to him. His family are committed to maintaining this service in Harry’s memory, just as he would have wanted and expected. He knew how special it was to be able to have an hour a week if he was well enough, just to relax and maybe forget about his illness for a very short while, and the massage team treated him so sensitively and kindly. If anyone wishes to donate, please do so at justgiving.com/page/daniel-flitterman-3. Harry’s family are eternally grateful for whatever support everyone feels they can give.
Make a lasting impact with a regular donation
If you’d like to get involved in supporting cancer services at UCLH, please consider setting up a regular donation. Regular donations make a huge difference; they allow us to plan with confidence, making sure your gift goes where it is needed most, from life-changing research to vital patient support. Our thanks to everyone who has already set up a monthly donation to the Cancer Fund – your support is invaluable
What else have you helped us fund this year?
We continue to fund a dedicated Prostate Cancer Buddy, supporting men with prostate cancer throughout their treatment journey, as well as the incredible ‘Stride On’ Walking Football Programme.
Enhanced supportive care including our ever-popular snack trolley at the Macmillan Cancer Centre, and book and hydration trolley at Westmoreland Street. We also fund supplies for the Support and Information lounge, and their support groups. Patients of all ages can enjoy our arts and crafts sessions, de-stressing during treatment.
Support for staff ranging from specialist training days, to team building events, staff room treats and cosy fleeces.
Improved furniture across the trust from garden chairs for the Westmoreland Street garden, to sleeper chairs for the wards, helping patient’s loved ones to stay close by.
Nebulisers for head and neck cancer patients, physiotherapy equipment to aid rehabilitation, and even chewing gum which can speed up post-surgery recovery. Plus, patient essentials kits, for those who need to be admitted unexpectedly.
There are plenty more exciting projects on the horizon, like research investigating treatment options for people with endometrial cancer (confirm if approved when David is back), and smoothie clubs for the children’s ward. The new and improved Quiet Room at Westmoreland Street is nearly complete, and will be up and running soon! Sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up to date at www.uclhcancerfund.org.uk/newsletter
Celebrating our UCLH staff!
This year marked two special anniversaries for the cancer division at UCLH: 20 years of the UCLH Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team, and ten years of UCH at Westmoreland Street.
“In July, the UCLH Head & Neck Cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) marked a special milestone – its 20th anniversary. Colleagues came together to reflect on how the service has evolved, and showcase today’s outstanding work. The event opened with a welcome from UCLH Chief Executive, David Probert, before each group took the opportunity to share their projects, achievements, and plans. It was a fantastic chance to learn from one another, exchange experiences, and celebrate the impact of collaborative working.” - Paul Stimpson, Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon and Clinical Lead for H&N Cancer Surgery, UCLH
UCH at Westmoreland Street (WMS) also celebrated a milestone anniversary this year; it’s tenth year as a leading hospital for urological services and thoracic surgery.
The site at Westmoreland Street has a long history as the London Heart Hospital, who’s services were transferred to Barts Heart Centre in 2015. Since then, the hospital has become a surgical hub within UCLH, providing patients with first-rate care.
“The 10-year celebration was a fabulous opportunity for teams to come together to reflect on the many successes of the last ten years. Key members of the original project team (some of which have moved on to pastures new) spoke of how the vision for UCH at Westmoreland Street was achieved and delivered 10 years ago, and how these foundations have contributed to the successes today.” - Niamh Gavaghan, Deputy Director of Nursing, Surgery & Cancer Board.
We were so pleased to celebrate all of your hard work and dedication, and we’re looking forward to supporting many more years of excellence!
Fantastic Fundraisers!
This summer, our incredible fundraisers, runners, walkers, and cyclists went the extra mile to raise vital funds for cancer services at UCLH, from marathons to bake sales, and even a brand-new cycling challenge! We are so proud of everyone who has taken part, and thankful to all your supporters - together you’ve raised over £57,400 this year!
The London 10k
“Thank you to all those who have donated, and a big thank you to all the doctors and nurses who are doing astonishing work in the cancer department.” Maya
“UCLH saved my life, helping me win my battle with cancer in 2024. I’m running to say thank you, raise funds and help other women fight cancer.” Patricia
“Issy and I are nurses who work on the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) unit. The charity helps our patients throughout their treatment and helps with the funding of our complementary therapists.” Issy and Liv
“I am running to raise money for UCLH Cancer Fund following my husband’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery at UCLH. We are all so grateful for the care and expertise he received at UCLH, particularly from Mr Quereshi who we feel saved my husband’s life.” Leah, Royal Parks Half Marathon
“As a member of staff, I highly value their work [UCLH Cancer Fund] for patients and staff within the trust.” Rita, UCLH Sonographer, London Summer Walk
“We’re doing this to raise funds and awareness for the amazing care and support the UCLH Head and Neck Cancer team provides every day.” Clare, Federico, and Geo, UCLH Head and Neck team, Bungee Jump
Tour de 4
A huge thank you to Huw and Gareth Jones, and Debbie Denman (UCLH Support and Information Specialist) who took on the inaugural ‘Tour De 4’ challenge, Sir Chris Hoy’s new cycling event. Setting off from Glasgow, the ride shone a light on stage 4 cancer, and challenged perceptions about living with a stage 4 diagnosis. The team cycled an incredible 56 miles, raising money to fund improved patient care, staff training, ground-breaking research and so much more.
Events 2026
Join our team for an event in 2026 - whatever your pace, we'll be here to support you!
London Landmarks Half Marathon |12th April 2026 Hackney Half Marathon | 17th May 2026 Saucony London 10k | 12th July 2026 Swim Serpentine | September 2026 London to Brighton Cycle | September 2026
Leaving a gift in your will
With more and more people living with cancer each year, your gift is needed more than ever.
Many of our incredible supporters choose to include UCLH Charity Cancer Fund in their will, leaving a legacy that makes a difference for years to come. In fact, around 1 in 5 of the projects we fund are only possible thanks to gifts in wills.
By leaving either a fixed sum or a percentage of your estate (the total value of everything you own), you can play a vital role in shaping the future of cancer care and research. Even a small gift, such as just 1% of your estate, can help us fund life-saving research, state-of-the-art equipment, and transformative projects at UCLH with national impact.
If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your will please get in touch with David, our Fundraising Manager, at david.milsom1@nhs.net or 07977 191780
- Welcome
- Scalp Cooling Success!
- Help make cancer treatment better for children
- Support beyond treatment
- Isle of Wight Challenge for the TRACERx Lung Cancer Study
- Sleeper chairs
- Movement ABC
- London Marathon 2026
- By Gurdas Singh
- Harry's Legacy
- Make a lasting impact with a regular donation
- What else have you helped us fund this year?
- Celebrating our UCLH staff!
- Fantastic Fundraisers!
- Events 2026
- Join our team for an event in 2026 - whatever your pace, we'll be here to support you!
- Leaving a gift in your will