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Friends of

Children’s charities unite for cancer research

Friends of Rosie and The Bradley Lowery Foundation are working together on a promising, new research collaboration for children with cancer.

The two children’s charities unite to boost research into childhood cancer. In 2021, they will be partnering to fund new research into the detection and treatment of a rare type of childhood bone cancer, called Ewing Sarcoma.

The project will be led by Professor Caroline Dive, Director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at The University of Manchester, and Dr Martin McCabe, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of Manchester.

Says Friends of Rosie Chair, Felicity Goodey, “Children’s cancer research gets less funding than almost any other type of cancer. Yet, treatments can leave growing bodies with horrific lifelong problems and cures are still rare. Partnerships like this are essential to get more funding focused on childhood cancer research and put it in the spotlight.

“We’re proud to be collaborating with The Bradley Lowery Foundation and using our individual strengths for the shared goal of improving outcomes for children with cancer.”

Gemma Lowery, founder of The Bradley Lowery Foundation comments, “We are pleased to be collaborating with Friends of Rosie in a joint venture to fund vital research into Ewing Sarcoma. Early research is extremely important, but funding is hard to find. By collaborating with other charities like Friends of Rosie, early research can get the vital funding it needs. We believe working with charities who specialise in different childhood cancers is the best way to get more funds into the research needed.”

Read Mahesh’s story to hear about his treatment for Ewing Sarcoma as a boy of eight years old. And then again as an adult when he relapsed at the age of 21.

About Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing Sarcoma is a type of bone cancer that most commonly effects children and teenagers. It is diagnosed using an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan, and taking a biopsy of the tumour or the bone marrow. In 25% of patients, the cancer will have already spread to other parts of the body before being diagnosed. It also has a high instance of recurrence within two years of diagnosis and survival post-recurrence is dismal at a mere 10-15%.

This project, starting in June 2021, will investigate using a blood sample to discover more about the tumour instead of taking an invasive tissue or tumour biopsy. This would be a far less aggressive procedure for children and could enable the earlier detection of relapse, as well as the improved monitoring of tumour response during treatment.

The jointly funded project will run for one year, starting in the spring, at a cost of £75,000. Friends of Rosie will be funding 80% of the project, with The Bradley Lowery Foundation funding 20% of the research costs.

About The Bradley Lowery Foundation

The Bradley Lowery Foundation was established in August 2017 after six-year-old Bradley Lowery, lost his fight to Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer.

In 2013, his mum, Gemma, started a fundraising campaign to raise funds to get Bradley treatment in the USA, which was not available in the UK. The campaign was very successful and with the support off thousands of people, raised over £1.3m, as well as vital awareness for Neuroblastoma and childhood cancer in general. And these donations, provided the funding base for the charity.

The Bradley Lowery Foundation aims to support families who are fundraising for treatment or equipment, which is not readily available or covered by the NHS. This includes all illnesses and conditions.

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Nancy Dykes

Nancy Dykes

Nancy, 11, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma when she was just 2 years old. She was treated with Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in Germany but unfortunately relapsed less than a year later. The family were then sent to Germany for a second round of PBT. Although treatment helped to cure Nancy’s cancer, she has been left with lots of lasting effects which will require ongoing treatment throughout her life. Here Nancy and her mum, Antonia, share their story in the hope it will help others, raise awareness, and raise more money for children’s cancer research.

Watch Story
Prof John Hickman

Prof John Hickman

Why I am a Trustee of CCRF
 
I am a relative of the Larkin family and knew Rosie Larkin ( Friends of Rosie, now CCRF) when she had and then died of neuroblastoma, aged six. At that time, I was a scientist and professor at Manchester University, actively working on the problem of why some cancers do not die despite intensive and toxic therapies.  Seeing Rosie during her unsuccessful therapy and then attending her funeral, besides being emotional, drove me to double down on my own research as well as to support the Charity as best I could as a cancer researcher. I spent over a decade as the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the CCRF, when the Board moulded policies to ensure that funds raised for research into childhood cancers were distributed only to clinicians and researchers who had the brightest ideas that could impact of cancer medicine for children.
 
My role on the Board
 
As a Trustee,  I hope that my many decades of experience in cancer research and medicine can help the CCRF determine where best the funds that are raised can be invested in cutting edge research and medicine. I am also keen that the CCRF brings together UK and international experts in science and cancer medicine to brainstorm on how best to advance the treatment of childhood cancers.
 
My Background
 
I was a Professor of Pharmacology at Manchester University, working on drug resistance in cancer. I then moved to Paris, where I still live, to head cancer drug discovery at a French pharmaceutical company (Servier). I then headed an EU consortium for six years that brought together researchers from the pharmaceutical industry, universities and biotechnology companies, from all over Europe and the UK, to improve cancer drug discovery. I continue to be active in cancer health policy, publishing in the medical literature.
Katrina

Katrina London

Why I am a Trustee of CCRF

I have spent my professional career representing individuals and families affected by the devastating asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, which has no cure and for which there are only a limited number of palliative treatments available on the NHS.

I joined CCRF because I wanted to bring my understanding of the need to raise awareness of less well known cancers and passion for the need to secure improved funding for research to children facing a cancer diagnosis.

My role on the Board

I am responsible for oversight of our collaboration agreements with other charities to co-fund research into cures and treatments for childhood cancers. I also manage our challenge events and help with community fundraising. 

My Background

I am a Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell LLP and specialise in Asbestos Disease Litigation, acting on behalf of victims of asbestos related diseases and their families.  Over the years, I have undertaken a number of fundraising challenges to raise money for cancer research, including a 1000 mile cycle ride from Glasgow to Southampton.   

Carla

Carla Nuttall

Why I’m a Trustee of CCRF
 
I became a trustee of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund because I believe every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy and with everything to look forward to in life. Like many people, I’ve seen the impact cancer can have on families and I wanted to do something that could make a real difference. This started through my work as an ambassador for Cyclists Fighting Cancer, which supported young people and their families in finding strength, confidence, and joy through movement.
 
That experience shaped my understanding of the challenges families face and the importance of community-led support – but crucially, the clear need for that to go hand-in-hand with targeted research and long-term solutions.
 
This is why I’m so passionate about the work CCRF does and proud to contribute to a cause that gives children and their families, the greatest chance of living a life without limits.
 
My Role on the Board
 
I support CCRF’s mission by bringing my experience in brand, marketing, and communications to the board. My focus is on helping CCRF tell its story in a way that resonates with people – whether that’s families, researchers, donors, or the wider public. I work alongside an incredible team to strengthen CCRF’s voice, build trust, and grow awareness so that more children and families can benefit from the breakthroughs we’re helping to fund.
 
My Background
 
I’m the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing for The Growth Company, a social enterprise dedicated to helping people, businesses, and places to thrive through its market-leading insight, employment, skills and business support.
My passion is to help the organisations I work with to communicate with clarity, purpose, and integrity. That’s why I’ve spent my career in strategic communications supporting organisations that want to make a positive difference – CCRF could not fit my sense of purpose any better.