Christian Lewis Trust Children's Cancer Charity

Welcome to the Christian Lewis Trust Children's Cancer Charity
This year, the Christian Lewis Trust commemorates 20 years of caring and supporting families affected by children’s cancer. Since 1989 this small Swansea based charity has raised over £6million, helped more than 4000 families and gained UK-wide recognition for its work and activities.

In 1988, a group of parents and supporters came together following the tragic news that 4 year old Christian Lewis had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. They worked to raise money to send him and his family on a lifetime trip to Disneyworld, Florida. As they became more involved, so they discovered the shortcomings in local health & care services throughout Wales when it came to providing help and support to families who were trying to cope with the unthinkable.

The decision to do something started when Barbara Thomas agreed to turn her spare bedroom in Newton, Swansea into a base for a local group calling themselves “the cancer-busters” and several months later culminated with the launch of the Christian Lewis Trust Children’s Cancer Charity in May 1989. Christian had died in January.

Today, the charity has a four member service team assisted by 20 part-timers and volunteers who between them cover the UK. There is also a fund-raising office in Cardiff. They have seen some very tough times financially but they have also been able to help thousands of people and never once stopped working or reduced their commitments.
As Barbara and the staff put it on their website, “We believe that quality of life for children with cancer is a right. To work with them and their families is a privilege.”

The Trust philosophy on support is that it is all about continuity; no matter what the prognosis. Accordingly, the range of services includes Play Therapy where children affected by cancer and their siblings can tackle the deep issues through their natural medium of play and Bereavement Support which helps families cope with the prospect and the results of grief.

The Christian Lewis Trust are probably best known for their Holiday Programme which ranges from luxury static caravans on specially chosen sites situated on the coast in Wales, where the family can get away from the pressures of hospital and treatment, to resort holidays in both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris where the Trust has partners able to provide a unique programme of supervised and special facilities. The aim is to provide memories intended to last for a lifetime.

“When the holiday gets close and that large white envelope pops through the letterbox, the excitement really begins”, writes one of the families on the Trust’s website.

The Trust has also become experts in specialist travel insurance and has developed links with a network of insurers providing cover for families traveling with children affected by cancer.

The Christian Lewis Trust Children's Cancer Charity believes quality of life for children with cancer is a right, to work with them and their families is a privilege.