In January 2024, we ran our first ever North East and North Cumbria’s weekend peer event. The primary focus of the event was to bring together young people with cancer to socialise, try out new skills, listen to expert speakers and build confidence. 

The whole weekend was co-designed with our young people. The programme was tailored to their needs, and they told us they loved it! Tim from Mind Chimp came to teach us valuable lessons around resilience and motivation, whilst Wildgoose challenged teams of TYAs to a scavenger hunt around Newcastle while being hunted by the staff.

“The best quote I could give would be to say that this weekend brought back the real me the me before everything went wrong in my life the me I never thought I’d ever get back, so thank you!”

The event showcased artistic skills with a ‘Bob Ross’ painting session and a percussion workshop from Nordoff Robbins.

The weekend was filled with amazing food, music, a comedian and competitions.

“I enjoyed the comradery between everybody. I’d been there for such a short while but felt like I’d known people for years”

We took the opportunity to invite the young people to share their experiences of the TYA service via a ‘diary room’.

“Simply just being there was one of the best things, it was fun & different something that I normally wouldn’t get to try”

We want to do it all again in 2025 so let us know what you would like to see, learn or do by filling in this form.