Cambridge brain tumour charity sets off on 'ambitious' £5m campaign
Tom's Trust is hoping to raise the total by 2031
A brain tumour charity hopes its campaign to raise £5 million in five years can help more families deal with life after a diagnosis.
Tom's Trust - which has a site in Cambridge - is raising money to offer two new in-hospital services and wider psychological care, in a bid to reach every child with a brain tumour in the UK by 2031.
The charity reaches one in five families through its current in-hospital services, but fears thousands more children and young people are unable to access the specialist psychological support they need.
"There is immense anxiety when a diagnosis is made and the psychological effect of that is really big, so for us, it's making sure families have the support they need to face their 'new normal'," Rebecca Wood, CEO at Tom's Trust, said.
"It is an ambitious target, but one we felt was important to set."
Helping more people quicker
Tom's Trust supports around 200 families a year and children from birth through to 25-years-old if cognitive disability is severe.
The charity says its 'Brighter Futures' campaign will create "a stronger and more resilient family, reduce NHS strain and provide vital care at the hardest times."
In Cambridge, clinical psychologists from Tom's Trust work at Addenbrooke's Hospital through Brainbow, an initiative that brings several healthcare services together to help treat children with brain tumours.
Ms Wood said the Trust now wants to fundraise for another child psychology service that allows children to move over to adult services easier.
"It's trying to accelerate that growth and recognising this is a way we can help far more people in a much shorter time frame than we can via our in-hospital services," she said.
"We realise we can leapfrog that and bring in resources that everyone can access.
"We could within those five years reach 100% of families in terms of their access to psychological support and we think that will help a lot more families."
Understanding issues
The campaign also looks to build on its clinical teams, invest in training around psychological care in the UK and create build a national resource hub with expert online guidance, tools and training for professionals.
Figures from the Brain Tumour Charity show 500 children and young people aged 19 and under are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.
Out of the children who survive, 62% face long-term emotional, physical and cognitive issues, such as struggling to return to school and making friends.
"It's difficult times for people, but we know from the support we've had already that there is a great feeling of 'we arere with these families," Ms Wood added.
"Not just the fact of raising money for them, but somebody understands their issues and wants to help them."