On Sunday 13th October 2024, a team of brave Dear Toby Trust runners will take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

The Dear Toby Trust was founded in memory of Toby Hambrook-Skinner and is dedicated to helping children with rare cancers, by supporting research into new and less aggressive treatments.

Cancer is a leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the UK with around 1,800 children aged 0-14 being diagnosed with cancer every year. That’s approximately 5 children every day.

Treatment can be brutal for these children. Chemotherapy doesn’t just target cancer, it destroys everything in its path including immunity which can then make children more susceptible to other fatal diseases.

The potential for new and kinder treatments exists. Just £10-20,000 could seed fund a critical piece of research that could then lead to larger funding for clinical trials and save lives.

Research in the UK is desperately underfunded. For many medical professionals at the vanguard of new and promising research, lack of funding is a barrier that can stand in the way of critical early discoveries.

The race is on to find kinder treatments for childhood cancers.