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Friends of

Author: Helen Griffin

Music album for childhood cancer

Music album for childhood cancer

A massive thank you and well done to the Y6 students from St Bernard’s RC Primary School and Acacias Community Primary School and N-Gage for supporting Friends of Rosie through their ‘The Beats’ project. ‘The Beats’ is an N-Gage community project in which the children worked together to create and produce their own music album, and […]

Easter fundraising success

Easter fundraising

Every year our Easter egg raffles help raise vital funds for children’s cancer research and this year was no different!.  Our 2024 Easter raffles raised over £3,500 to help kick start pioneering new children’s cancer research projects. In fact, this year was one of our best years yet in terms of the support we received […]

International Women’s Day

International Women's Day 2024

Today, 8 March, is International Women’s Day and to mark this special day, we’re celebrating the fantastic women behind Friends of Rosie.  As a volunteer led charity, we simply couldn’t do what we do without the support of our network of volunteers, Trustees, and scientific advisors. And so today, we want to shout out to […]

A Christmas party to remember

On Saturday 9 December we joined forces with three other fantastic children’s cancer charities to host a special Christmas party for the children of Ward 86 at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.  It was a truly wonderful day, not only because it gave the children and their families some time away from the ward to […]

Christmas concert raises lots

Our huge thanks to the wonderful Altrincham Concert Orchestra for putting on a fabulous festive Christmas concert last weekend, Sunday 3 December. Together with the support of those who attended, they raised a fantastic £889 for children’s cancer research. Our special thanks go to Dorothea Livesey for organising the raffle and catering for the event […]

Local charities join forces for children’s cancer ward Christmas party

Friends of Rosie has joined forces with three other Manchester children’s cancer charities to create a special Christmas party for children currently undergoing cancer treatment on Ward 86, the oncology ward at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The Friends of Rosie Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Milly’s Smiles, Holly’s Hearts, and The Joshua Tree Foundation have […]

Calling all volunteers

Kym Green

As a small, volunteer-led charity, we are always looking for the volunteer support of willing and skilled individuals who want to give back. There are lots of ways to volunteer your time and effort that will make a huge difference to children with cancer. These include: Administrative support Marketing & PR support Graphic design Video […]

Newsletter out now!

Friends of Rosie newsletter

Our annual print newsletter is out now, giving all our supporters an update on the work of the last year and our focus looking ahead. We purposely issued the newsletter to coincide with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month as we wanted to focus on the importance of collaboration and partnerships to tackle childhood cancer. One of […]

Lisa Larkin awarded MBE

Friends of Rosie founder, Lisa Larkin, awarded MBE We are delighted to announce that Lisa Larkin, the founder of Friends of Rosie, has been awarded an MBE for charitable services in His Majesty, The King’s Birthday Honours List for 2023. A Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) is awarded for an outstanding […]

Coffee and marmalade raises £700!

Coffee and marmalade

Our kind supporters, Philip and Julia Hyde, recently held a coffee morning and marmalade sale in aid of Friends of Rosie. Thanks to the huge generosity of everyone who attended the event, an impressive £700 was raised in support of childhood cancer. Events like this really do make all the difference to the projects we […]

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Helen Griffin
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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.