Young Lives vs Cancer

Young Lives vs Cancer, the rebranded operating name of CLIC Sargent since 2021, is the UK's largest cancer charity for children and young people aged 0-25, formed in 2005 from the merger of CLIC and Sargent Cancer Care (dating to 1967). Its core mission is to provide holistic support—from diagnosis through treatment, recovery, and bereavement—for young cancer patients and families, addressing disruptions to education, mental health, finances, and aspirations. Guided by values of bravery, confidence, integrity, and teamwork, it stands out as the only UK organization offering specialist social workers for tailored psychosocial care, alongside advocacy for equitable policies like a national Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund.

The charity prioritizes emotional, practical, financial, and clinical aid, funding immediate relief such as travel/accommodation for treatment, living expenses, education/mental health support, and a £100 registration grant post-diagnosis. Beneficiaries are exclusively UK children/young people with cancer, parents/carers, and siblings, with UK-wide reach across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, emphasizing family-centered, evidence-driven interventions and partnerships with hospitals/oncology units.

It does not accept unsolicited applications from charities or organizations—funding is direct to individuals via online forms (rolling, year-round post-diagnosis) or through pre-existing collaborations, with no income/size/geographic restrictions for eligible families but no open organizational grants. Typical awards are modest (£100+ based on need) for urgent hardship. Distinctively, it avoids broad project funding, focusing instead on wraparound family empowerment, professional social work, and systemic change, differentiating it as an essential partner for youth cancer support rather than a general grantmaker.