Call to donate pre-loved clothes for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

This September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – people across Rochdale and Greater Manchester are being called on to clear out their wardrobes to help more children and young people survive cancer.

They are being urged to donate any pre-loved quality fashion and homeware to TK Maxx’s Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, in support of Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People.

Across the UK, around 1,900 children are diagnosed with the disease every year, but research is making more precious moments possible for more youngsters and their families.

Cancer Research UK’s scientific breakthroughs have helped to more than double children’s cancer survival in the UK since the 1970s and, today, around eight in 10 will survive for at least 10 years. However, there’s still much further to go.

That’s why the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is one of the many centres across the UK taking part in groundbreaking clinical trials coordinated by Cancer Research UK’s  children's cancer trials team.

One of the trials is searching for the best treatment for young people and adults whose germ cell tumours have come back, or who treatment has stopped working for. In the TIGER study, the team will compare standard chemotherapy with a higher dose to identify which is best for patients.

These trials make innovative new treatments available to children and young people with cancer across the region.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jemma Humphreys, said: “Cancer is different in children and young people from the types of cancer that affect this age group to the long-term effects of treatment, such as hearing loss and infertility.

"So, it needs different and dedicated research which campaigns like Give Up Clothes for Good help to fund.

“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are beating cancer. Step by step, day by day. More than 9 in 10 children and young people with cancer who receive cancer drugs on the NHS receive a drug linked to Cancer Research UK’s work.

"And our scientists are unlocking discoveries about these cancers and translating them into new and less toxic ways to treat them.

She added: “But, despite huge progress, too many young lives are still lost to this devastating disease. By donating any quality clothes or goods to their local TK Maxx store, people across Greater Manchester can help ensure more young people in the region - and across the UK – can live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.”

TK Maxx is the biggest corporate supporter of Cancer Research UK’s research into children’s and young people’s cancers.

Since 2004, the retailer’s customers and associates have raised over £45 million to help improve survival and reduce long-term side effects.

This includes supporting the Cancer Research UK Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence for the last six years, which brings together expert researchers from across the globe to accelerate the development of better treatments for children with brain tumours.

Give Up Clothes for Good is the UK’s longest running clothes collection. The public can donate at any TK Maxx store all year round.

People can also show their support by wearing a gold ribbon badge – the awareness symbol of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – available from Cancer Research UK shops during September.

Find out more or donate online at cruk.org/childrenandyoungpeople