Supporting Young People Beyond Cancer | With Roxy from Teens Unite

When cancer affects a young person's life, the journey doesn't end when treatment does.

In this episode of Beyond The Studio, I'm joined by Roxy from Teens Unite, the UK's only charity providing ongoing support to 13–24-year-olds during and after cancer.

We explore how and why Teens Unite was founded, the incredible impact the charity has had over the years, and why emotional wellbeing, connection and community are just as important as physical recovery. Roxy shares how Teens Unite helps young people rebuild confidence, create lifelong friendships, and navigate life beyond a cancer diagnosis.

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, hope, and ensuring that no young person has to face cancer alone.

We're incredibly proud to have chosen Teens Unite as our charity partner for this year's DH Dance Academy Show, and we hope this episode shines a light on the life-changing work they do every single day.

💛 Find out more about Teens Unite:

Website: www.teensunite.org

Instagram: @teensunitefightingcancer

Facebook: Teens Unite Fighting Cancer

If you've enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and share the podcast to help us continue bringing meaningful conversations to families everywhere.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hello, and welcome back to Beyond the Studio. Today's episode is a really special one because I am joined by Roxy from Teens Unite, which is our chosen charity for this year's annual show. And at DH Dance and through this podcast, we're passionate about supporting young people beyond dance, beyond education, and beyond the challenges they face every day. So today's conversation is about a charity doing exactly that. And for anyone that hasn't come across Teens Unite before, could you start by telling us a little bit about who you are, what you do, and take us back to the beginning. How and why did it all start?

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Of course, fantastic. Thank you very much. Firstly, thank you for listening and taking the time to um hear about Teens Unite. So Teens Unite exists to improve the lives of teenagers and young adults living with, but actually more critically beyond a cancer diagnosis. So I'm sure sadly lots of us will have heard the words cancer and the devastating impact that can have on an individual and the family around them. However, Space Teens Unite plays is actually outside of that medical environment to give young people the support, nurture a community they really need to thrive beyond that diagnosis. So a huge thank you for inviting me to tell you a little bit more about Teen Unite. Also, an incredible thank you to the DH family because I know as a past family member and the importance of the community that you create there as the dance studio. So thank you for taking the time to welcome Teen Junite into that family.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Oh no, we're so happy to do it, honestly. We are.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Perfect, thank you. So yet um I've touched on the, you know, the words cancer can be devastating to anybody at any time. But Teen Jonight was founded really our two co-founders. So one of them, some of you may have heard of, Karen Millen, the fashion designer, and her friend Debbie Pizzani, they volunteered their time to improve the lives of other people that lives have been touched by cancer, and they realized very quickly, 20 years ago, um next February, that there was a significant gap in the care system. So teenagers, those who are 13 to 24, kind of fell between the gaps. So the childcare cancer system in the UK is actually exceptional, and survival rates for all young people are at their all-time highest. However, cancer, the impacts of cancer doesn't stop when you know medically overcoming cancer does. So, for some context, there are two and a half thousand young people or teenagers who are diagnosed with cancer every year, and alongside those medical recovery come some significant physical, social, and emotional recovery needs that affects that young person's life at a time where really they're struggling with their identity and their development during their key development years, and their sense of community is taken rapidly away from them. So they're removed from school, they're removed from any kind of incredible groups or social scenes that they have because their sort of sole focus becomes on survival. So Teach Unite was founded by Karen and Debbie back 20 years ago when they realized that actually young people deserve more than just survivorship, they deserve the opportunity to thrive beyond their diagnosis. So Teach Unite brings young people together, reorganise activities, residential stays, and programs to connect young people with a shared experience of cancer. And more importantly, not dissimilar to what you guys do in the dance studio, but give those young people the confidence to really go on and thrive and whatever that looks like for them in life, to find a sense of community, to connect with young people who have a similar and shared interest as them, and push each other. You know, lots of the young people that I know, you know, why my daughters did dance was to push them to perform on stage and to create a group of friends around them with similar interests. And Teen Tonight provides that in a kind of different setting for young people. So we encourage these young people that we support to do things they might not have done before, whether that is to you know take on a physical challenge that they haven't done before or to return back to education, which most of them have a significant gap in after their treatment, and they find that kind of challenge of reintegrating back at those key years very difficult.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah, that's that is just absolutely incredible. And like you said, it's beyond the actual medical side of it, is it's giving them back their community and places where they feel seen, supported, where they feel heard. Could you paint us a bit more of a picture of um some of the events that you put on for the children, for the teens, um, some of the things they've been able to do before through the charity and through all of that support? I'd love to hear about some of the um the highlights, I guess, of the things they've enjoyed.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Of course. So it's hard because there's lots, but so yes, the charity supported thousands of young people. Um in the last 12 months alone, we provided just under two, just over 2,000 opportunities for young people to access our support. So that support it carries a variety of things. So our activities can be anything from um graffiti painting, so expressing yourself through art, um, through to we've done it delivered a workshop with YouTube about returning back to employment after you've had a gap in your career. So putting young people in the room with real sector leaders to give them an opportunity to really understand what their personal superpowers are. Um, we've done collaborations with some fantastic brands, we've done some clothing collaborations with the likes of FNF and jewelry with Estella Bartlett. So young people had an opportunity to come together with you know career um experts to understand what does it like look like to design a jewellery brand, and if you want to get into clothing, what skills do you need?

SPEAKER_01 5:37

We did get the FNF t-shirt, actually, the love one that you did that was lovely. Brilliant.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Watch this space, more to more to come. Oh, exciting. Um, yeah, so really it's about giving young people an opportunity to do things that young people want to do, whether that be you know physically challenging themselves. So we do a bike and unite program where young people learn to cycle again following their diagnosis and because their bodies will have changed physically. We do football programs, so we delivered one with Chelsea Foundation and we've done one this year with the Tottenham Foundation, and a team are going to St. George's Park in a couple of weeks. So things I suppose we and young people take for granted, those are full of health. Um, we give young people the opportunity to do that in a safe and supportive environment. So, you know, they may have been part of a football team, we give them opportunity to learn to play football and sport again. We do things like pottery making, we have a book club so young people can read, hear first hand from authors about you know what was behind their story, why did they create those stories? Um, the breadth of needs and interests of young people are covered through the activities we do. So, and we also actively encourage them to do things that probably they might not have thought were an interest of theirs, but actually, because their life has changed and you know their teenage years have been derailed, actually, why can't they try and explore other things that they might not have thought of before? So um, we deliver those both digitally and in person, so irrelevant of your geographic location or your current um physical ability needs, you can sign in and listen and be part of Teams Unite. Real USP is when they come together in the same room, however, that's not always possible. Um, well, we can we take our support off and around the country. So even though we are based in Hertfordshire, our support primarily is to those in the southeast of England. Have we to extend that nationally? So the team this week we're actually in Nottingham delivering a session there, um, and then going to Birmingham next weekend. So it really is about bringing young people together to explore, you know, the the session they've done in Manchester this a couple of weeks ago was really about using public transport again. Oh, okay. So the young people did a treasure challenge across the city. However, actually, what it was about is about them understanding and be confident to use public transport again, which obviously should they then return to education or go into employment, they have to be able to do. So there was an underlying impact that we're outset to achieve, even though the activity is you know fun and community.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Honestly, the the opportunities in the impact that you are creating is absolutely incredible. And it's something that um the reason I really wanted to have this conversation is because I think more and more people need to hear about it and need to know it. Because, like you said, it's there is a gap there for teenagers that have those years almost taken away from them to be able to give that back to them, go on and to see them thrive is yeah, it's invaluable. And one of the things we talk a lot about um in our school on this podcast is connection and community. It's the number one, it's the driving force, and it's so important that young people don't feel like they're facing these challenges alone. And not only the young people, also the the parents. I assume that this means a lot to those parents, not just the children, giving them the opportunity, those parents must. Could you talk a bit more about the support that they must feel and just being able to see their children in these environments must mean so so much.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Of course. Um, and that is the ripple effect of support. You know, you will see that in the dance studio in terms of the confidence you give to young people, but then the impact that has on them in their kind of wider life and their family, and not dissimilar to ours. So, our primary care is to support the young people, however, the ripple effect that has on their family. Um, siblings is a primary kind of space when actually that sibling kind of sees and witnesses the impact that that diagnosis has on their sibling is very difficult. So we provide sibling support throughout the year, and also we have a very dedicated loyal parent space where parents can come together and share their kind of fears and challenges and hopes for their young person without necessarily again bringing that burden to the young person. So, yeah, it's a significant part of who Teens Unite are and why we exist, is that whole community around them. Um, interestingly, there's some fantastic quotes. So, have a look on our socials for the quotes and stuff from parents. But I kind of wanted to share there's a current story that we're talking about at the moment, but it really is a topical space. So, George is a young boy that we have been supporting recently. Um started university, you know, had a fantastic group of friends around him. He was really embracing and thriving his independence. You know, he was living his dream aspiration of becoming a teacher. He was, you know, I wouldn't say an A-star student, but wasn't far from an A-star student. Um, in his university campus, actually in a supermarket, um, doing his kind of shop and had the phone call to say actually the headache he'd been experiencing was a cancer diagnosis. So his world literally within seconds on a phone call changed. Um, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour imminently after that phone call, and his university life stopped in an instant.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Goodness.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Um, what that meant to him was hospital, surgery, proton being treatment, and everything else around him and his family stopped. His world shattered, and you can people can see his story on our socials, and he openly talks about how not only was his education stopped, but his whole life became isolated. So his peers moved on without him. He was in a different period and chapter of his life that he needed to start rebuilding again after, thankfully, he was given the kind of all clear. Um he found Teen Jonight. We gave him that period of hope by inspiring him to realise what he could achieve again. Um, and he, you know, fullheartedly kind of shares and embraces the fact that he now has returned, he has now achieved his ambition and he's an English teacher. Wow and is truly thriving beyond his diagnosis, which is absolutely incredible. Um, and he's given me the kind of okay to share a quote with you guys today, which was that he said, um, Teen Tonight's activities have not only participated, but they have given me the connection that I needed at a time I needed it most, and given me the chance to try things that I most definitely wouldn't have tried without them. So I think it's that space that we play about giving George and then obviously his family, because they will now see him um achieving his ambitions and excelling in them significantly. So, you know, cancer derailed his life, but it shouldn't stop him from actually living it again afterwards.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

That is that's just the most beautiful story, but also there's so much hope in there, and like you said, of the fact that now he's but he's but gone on to thrive, but with the support of Teens Unite, and that just highlights really the importance of the work that you are all doing. Um, if there was a message, one message you'd love every young person or maybe a family that maybe they are going through a cancer diagnosis themselves, maybe they know somebody that is as well. What would you what would you like them to take away today?

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Um it's difficult because it depends where they are in that journey. However, I would say for everybody that you know cancer disrupts lives. Um, however, we are a kind of pinnacle point in the world where survival rates are at their all-time highest. But don't be alone and suffer because survivorship is more than just medically surviving. Um, interestingly, any of you royal supporters, the Princess of Wales has has released a very big statement today that talks about what living with the long-term impacts of a cancer diagnosis has and the challenges she's experiencing that with the network and support she has around us. So, for any young person that's going through cancer or has known somebody that's going through it, actually is okay not to be okay with having survived. Um, and there is a support network available for you. Lots of the young people that we support at Teams Unite are kind of five, six, seven years out of remission and are supposedly free from cancer. But actually, what that does mean is that sometimes they have some very long-term impacts that may not come up until later in their life when they experience something different. So just know that there is a network available for you to not be okay. However, when you actually tune into that, you can go on and live a very successful and fulfilled life, even though cancer has derailed part of that for you.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

That's amazing. Thank you so much, and thank you for joining us today. We are so pleased that Teens Unite is our chosen charity this year. And I hope today's conversation has given everybody listening a real insight into the incredible work you're doing. And for anyone that doesn't know, you are Teens Unite, you are based in Hertfordshire in Broxbourne. So you are very, very local. So I will pop all of your information in the show notes. I'll pop in there your Instagram where people can find you, um, because you never know who may need it at some point. Um, and if we can just spread the word and support, I think um a lot of children's and families' lives will be changed for the better.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

That'd be absolutely fantastic. We're a completely self-funded charity, so we can only provide that incredible support to young people through the generosity of fantastic people like you guys who have fundraising for us at the show, um, you know, corporate organisations that we have the privilege to partner with and also our incredible donors. So please do, if you can give, please do give and thank you for supporting. Also, if anybody is interested in volunteering or taking on a challenge and stuff for us, please do get into contact. We are has some very big aspirations for the next few years, but we are building in Hertfordshire the first dedicated centre to provide short residential stays for young people overcoming cancer. So we really do need the support of the community behind us. We have a huge fundraising target to hit 6.5 million. Um, we are making very good progress, but yeah, every little that really does help. So thank you for showcasing us and for your support so far.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

Oh, absolutely, and we will certainly be trying to help you get to that target this weekend. Absolutely. So please do come and support Teens Unite at our show this weekend, and thank you, Roxy, for joining and sharing your story.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Thank you for having me.