One family a week is told that their child has retinoblastoma in the UK but most people have never heard of it. Sadly, this often leads to a delay in children being diagnosed. The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is working hard to change that – and you can help.
Raising awareness of retinoblastoma and its symptoms among parents and healthcare professionals, like GPs and health visitors, is a crucial part of our work.
There are lots of ways that you can support us in doing this, from handing out leaflets in your local area to sharing your story with the media. Here are some ideas:
Leaflets and posters
We have awareness packs with leaflets and posters which you can distribute in your local community – ideal places are health centres, GP surgeries, nurseries, libraries and sports venues. Get in touch if you’d like us to post out one of these packs.
Social media
Social media can be a great way to spread the news quickly. We are very active on Facebook and Twitter – please like or follow us and share our awareness posts. It’s amazing how many thousands of people we can reach with a few shares.
Share your story
Sharing your story with the media is a really effective way to raise awareness. Many parents have told us that they first heard about retinoblastoma after reading an article or seeing something on the news. We can help you through the process and liaise with journalists on your behalf.
Talks
Talk to local community and faith groups such as Rotary Clubs, the WI, and parent and toddler meetings. We have a ready-made presentation if you need it and can give you hints and tips if you’re unfamiliar with public speaking.
Donate
Family life is extremely busy and sometimes you just don’t have time to do all the things that you’d like to – we totally get that. But you can still help by taking five minutes to make a donation, which could help support our awareness campaigns. You can donate quickly and easily on our website.
Whatever you can do, and whoever you can tell, it will make a difference! For more information please get in touch whenever you’re ready, we’d love to hear from you and we’re here to help.
Call 020 7377 5578 or email info@chect.org.uk. This information is also available as a downloadable leaflet.
Read how our awareness raising work led to Harley’s retinoblastoma diagnosis.