Young cancer patients have until Sunday 11th November to apply for a new education and employment grant worth up to £5,000.

The ‘Thrive Not Just Survive’ grant is open to young people aged between 14 and 24-years-old who have been diagnosed with cancer and are looking to get an education or career ambition back on track.

The grant has been launched by CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer support charity for children, young people and families, in conjunction with European financial services group, Societe Generale.

CLIC Sargent research found that over two thirds of young people were worried about the impact that cancer will have on their education and almost three quarters were worried about the impact on their future employment.

Under the new grant scheme, young people will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to support tuition or course fees, purchasing tools for an apprenticeship, or equipment/materials for a course such as a laptop or text books. They will apply for a gold (£3-5k), silver (£1-3k) or bronze grant (up to £1k) to suit their needs.

Applications for the new grant will be reviewed by a panel of CLIC Sargent and Societe Generale staff.

Young people are encouraged to get creative and can choose to submit their application in a variety of ways including writing a letter, writing a business case or even creating a video.

Kate Lee, CEO of CLIC Sargent, said:

Cancer doesn’t just affect a young person’s health. Cancer can also hit a young person’s confidence, their finances and rob them of their independence. It can have a devastating impact on their ability to keep up with school or university when they are receiving treatment miles away from home, for months at a time.

Societe Generale’s UK employees chose CLIC Sargent as its charity partner in March 2018 and aims to raise £1 million over the next three years.

Sadia Ricke, UK Country Head at Societe Generale, said:

We’ve heard first-hand just how challenging it can be for young people to keep up with their education or continue to work after a cancer diagnosis and we’re committed to helping CLIC Sargent change this.

As part of the three year partnership, CLIC Sargent will also use the new funding to increase the support from its specialist care teams.

For further information or to apply for the ‘Thrive Not Just Survive’ grant visit: www.clicsargent.org.uk/thrive.