Hundreds of children with brain tumours and their families from around the country will continue to receive support thanks to a grant of £15,000 from Cambridgeshire Freemasons to Tom’s Trust.
Tom’s Trust provides clinical psychologists in hospitals to support more than 330 children who are diagnosed with brain tumours and around 1,100 family members every year. They aim to improve their quality of life and wellbeing. Every single child helped by Tom’s Trust shows an improvement in their cognitive and emotional state.
Brain tumours are the most common childhood tumour and claim more lives than any other cancer in children under 16. The impact of both the tumours and the treatment on developing children means that the majority of those who survive are left with long-term, life-altering disabilities such as blindness, deafness, cognitive impairment and learning disabilities.
There is little to no statutory support available to children with brain tumours across the UK and the basic NHS provision is not designed to manage the complex psychological requirements of young people with this condition.
The grant will not only support the charity’s existing services at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Great North Children’s Hospital but also help launch new centres for children’s brain tumours around the UK. The aim is to fund a new clinical psychologist service in 2022 and a further two centres in the next five years in addition to existing services.
Tom’s Trust psychologists Mariana and Angela (left) with David Blair from the Cambridgeshire Freemasons and Rebecca Wood, Tom’s Trust CEO (right)
The grant from Cambridgeshire Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Rebecca Wood, CEO at Tom’s Trust, said: “We’re very grateful to Cambridgeshire Freemasons for their generous grant to Tom’s Trust is the only mental health support charity dedicated to helping children with brain tumours and their families in the UK. This support helps us to move closer to achieving our vision that dedicated ongoing expert psychological support will be provided for every child with a brain tumour and their family.”
Michael Hinton from Cambridgeshire Freemasons, said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Tom’s Trust with their hugely important work in supporting children with brain tumours. Children with this condition are likely to have long-term life altering disabilities and every single child supported by this wonderful charity shows improvement in their conditions as a result.”
If you’d like to donate money to help Tom’s Trust continue its vital services, go to www.tomstrust.org.uk/donate
