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Friends of

What do you want to do when you grow up?

For most children when asked, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’, the list of possibilities is endless. For children diagnosed with cancer, their aspirations are no less great and why should they be?

This is the question Friends of Rosie posed to the children attending this year’s Ward 84 summer party. The annual event, held at Manchester’s Victoria Baths, is organised by a dedicated group of parents, friends, family, and staff from Ward 84 – the children’s oncology ward at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

When I grow up …

Some of the Friends of Rosie team and volunteers attended the event and provided a huge fabric banner and coloured pens and let the children’s imaginations go wild as they thought about their ideal future. Kenzie, aged 12, wrote, “All I have is poison in the blood and when I grow up, I want to be a nurse to help others like me”. Samuel, aged 8, aspires to follow in the footsteps of the Apollo 11 crew and be an astronaut and Jack, also aged 8, sees himself as a Youtube star. Perhaps one of the most poignant messages was written by the sister of a young girl who is currently being treated for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, simply writing, “I wish to help the world”.

  • when you grow up

1,900 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK. That’s around five children each day. Thanks to research, survival rates are improving but there is still much to be done and to discover. But what these statistics don’t show is the cost of survival. What quality of life are children with cancer left with after treatment? The statistics may show them as cancer survivors, but many will have devastating, long-term effects from harsh treatments.

Hopes for the future

Says Friends of Rosie communications manager, Helen Griffin, “We were very grateful to be invited to this amazing event and to spend time with the children talking about their hopes for the future. Childhood cancer is thankfully rare, but unlike adults diagnosed with the disease, these children are right at the start of their lives and should be given every possible chance of a bright future to experience all that life has to offer.”

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month and we will be using the internationally recognised month to continue to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. Our focus is on kick-starting new ideas for gentler, more effective treatments with fewer side effects in later life.

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Helen Griffin
Communications Manager
07887 932293

Children’s Cancer Research Fund,
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© 2025 Children’s Cancer Research Fund | Charity No. 1046278 | Website by ATTAIN.

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.

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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.