Almost 100 young people living through and beyond cancer are set for life-changing sailing adventures thanks to a 3-year BBC Children in Need funding boost.
The East Cowes-based Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has been granted £20,000 per year between 2026–2028 – helping more children and teenagers rebuild confidence and independence after cancer treatment.
Founded by Dame Ellen MacArthur, the charity supports young people aged 8–24 through sailing and outdoor adventures, giving them space to reconnect, develop resilience and feel hopeful about their futures. The new funding will support first-time four-day sailing trips for under-18s from both East Cowes and the Trust’s Scottish base in Largs.
BBC Children in Need previously helped establish the Largs centre in 2013 – allowing the Trust to reach more young people as demand grew nationwide.
Cancer can have long-term impacts on young people – fatigue, anxiety, disrupted education and changes in friendships and identity among them. The Trust aims to guide them through this adjustment by offering shared experience, support and the confidence to move forward.
One young participant, 15-year-old Rosa Ross from Edinburgh – diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2024 – shared how the Trust helped her recovery.
*“We’re still just young people. We’ve been through this horrible thing, but we still have the same interests. The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has made a massive difference for me because they’re still here for us and connecting us with other people who have finished treatment.
Article continues below this advertisement You have a lot of freedom – you can have downtime if you need it – and it was just nice being out among nature. We even saw a seal!
There’s no judgement or anything like that. If you’re fatigued, you’re walking slower, nobody’s judging – it’s not out of the ordinary.”*
Pam Bacon, Impact Officer – South East for BBC Children in Need, added:
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be supporting the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. The funding will help children and young people build confidence, develop self-esteem and take part in activities they might not otherwise have access to.”
This year, 651 young people took part in Trust adventures – either for the first time or returning for ongoing support. More information can be found at ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or by following @emctrust across social media.
