Clic Sargent is facing “unprecedented demand” on its services

Children’s cancer charity Clic Sargent has launched an urgent appeal amid “unprecedented demand” on its services due to the coronavirus crisis.

The appeal comes as the charity deals with a huge increase in demand for its social work support services from families worried about their child’s risk of infection.

Clic Sargent is also offering support to families separated by isolation rules, struggling financially or with the practicalities of getting to their child’s bedside in hospital while the crisis is ongoing.

Since the start of the outbreak in the UK, the charity has given out over £45,000 in hardship grants to families in crisis struggling to afford essentials such as food and paying bills. Meanwhile, the charity is predicting a 60% drop in income over the next six months.

Rachel, a Clic Sargent social worker, said: “We have never been so busy. Families are so worried and parents are anxious about their children being so vulnerable to coronavirus and how they will cope financially too.
“It’s completely heart-breaking, but we’re there for them and helping support them in every way we can. They need us now more than ever. I don’t know how they would cope, or who they would share their worries with if we weren’t here for them.”

During the pandemic, Clic Sargent has had to find new ways to provide support to families in isolation. It is also urgently trying to meet the cost of unexpected purchases such as laptops for social workers to provide crucial support remotely and protect children from risk of infection.

The charity is also fighting to keep its Homes from Home near hospitals open, so that parents have somewhere to stay for free and be close to their child during their treatment.

Clic Sargent chief executive Rachel Kirby-Rider said: “Cancer doesn’t stop for coronavirus and the young cancer patients and families we support are facing a real crisis and need us more than ever.

“One parent told us that they feel as worried now about coronavirus as they did the day that they were told their child had cancer. We will continue to fight to be here for those families but we urgently need funding to do that. Our supporters are incredible and today we’ve launched an emergency appeal to try raise the funding we need, but we also desperately need government to help charities, who are supporting the most vulnerable people in this crisis, to survive.”

Donations can be made online at the Clic Sargent website.

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