About us Our Impact THE IMPACT OF OUR SUPPORT We're a small charity and we receive no government funding, so our work is only made possible by our incredible supporters. We couldn't do it without you and we want you to know that we're making every penny count. 34 young adults are diagnosed every day in the UK, we are dedicated to providing them with the tools they need to get moving physically, socially and psychologically when cancer stops them in their tracks. We know our support is making a difference. In 2019/20 we have had a 35% increase in the young adults finding out about our services. This is mostly through the medium of social media, but there has also been an increase in the number of young adults being referred by healthcare professionals. “Charity's like Trekstock provide invaluable support in recognising that dealing with the fallout from cancer is ongoing” Rosa, 25. WHY WE’RE RELEVANT - WHAT YOU TELL US 97% of our community told us that they think Trekstock is relevant to them as a young adult in their 20s and 30s. “The events you put on allow young adults with cancer to meet others going through what you are. There’s no sitting in a room feeling like the youngest person by 15-20 years, which sadly can feel incredibly isolating. The events allow us to feel ‘normal’ when usually we feel anything but” WHY WE'RE IMPORTANT - WHAT YOU TELL US “It’s helping me put my life back together! I didn't realise how important it was to go to events with other cancer peeps and feel part of a community of people who 'get it' until I started going to Trekstock events. Trekstock helps us to ride the roller coaster with amazing people instead of trying to face it all alone.” THE TOP SUPPORT NEEDS When you’re in your 20s and 30s and you have cancer, you still want to have fun, still want to get active, still want to socialise because you’re a young adult first and foremost, not defined by your diagnosis. Through continuous evaluation, we listen to what our community tell us they need and assess the support needs year on year to provide the right support that our community needs. This year 2019/20 the support needs breakdown was: 77% tell us they need psychological support 68% tell us they need help getting physically active 62% tell us they need help with diet and nutrition 55% found that we met their original support needs 85% would like to hear about us at diagnosis or 3 months into treatment WAYS WE SUPPORT - SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL Through our online and offline community, we bridge isolation by bringing young adults together to meet and connect. “The more I discover about Trekstock, the more excited I am to become a part of it! There is a feeling of being let go once the cancer journey comes to end, yet there are so many more hurdles to overcome before resuming a 'normal life'. Trekstock seems to act as that bridge to give support and information to those who need it” Kirsty, 33 ONLINE COMMUNITY -ITS IMPACT 70% use our online private Facebook community 72% felt it met their need to connect with others “I posted on the Facebook group and my god it helped to hear from those it in same head space. Sometimes you need to talk to people who just get it. As hard as partners, friends or family try, and as much support as they give, they can’t feel the fatigue or the emotional pain that catches you unawares.” SOCIAL MEET UPS + EVENTS At each event, we ask our community to complete a short questionnaire to help us get a better understanding of how they help them. We found that most young adults come along to meet others like them, however by the end 91% of those attending felt less isolated. “I love the relaxed nature of Trekstock’s meet-ups and this one was no different. You’re more than a diagnosis when you’re there.” Rob, 32. MEET UPS - THEIR IMPACT 63% found they helped with social isolation 55% found they built their confidence and helped with the psychological wellbeing 85% would be very likely to attend another meet up 83% would definitely recommend them to another young adult with cancer 75% felt happy after attending a meet up 91% felt less isolated after attending MEET & MOVE EVENTS - THEIR IMPACT 87% felt it built their confidence 73% felt it helped them connect with others 65% helped get them active again 45% of young adults who come along to a Meet & Move event go on to sign up to the RENEW programme. 91% would be very likely to recommend them to another young adult living with cancer "Thank you so much for an amazing Meet & Move day. We're leaving feeling much more positive about the future” This year we put on a Meet & Move just for men and this is how they felt about the day: Fun. Relaxed. Reassuring. (Age 38, Brain Tumour)Inspiring. Eye-opening. Special. (Age 25, Testicular Cancer)Inspiring. Empowering. Engaging. (Age 25, Testicular Cancer)Meeting. Sharing. Less lonely. (Age 33, Glioma)Relaxed. Bonding. Genuine. (Age 26, Osteosarcoma)Helpful. Relaxing. Peace of mind. (Age 34, Testicular Cancer) WAYS WE SUPPORT - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY We’ve been running an evaluation of our RENEW 12 week exercise programme to help us understand more about the benefit is has upon the health, holistic wellbeing and quality of life of young adults with cancer. We're in the process of crunching the data with Dr Gemma Pugh, Researcher in Behavioural Science but in the meantime, we'd love to share some feedback from past RENEW participants: EXERCISE PROGRAMME - ITS IMPACT 72% found it helped get them moving again 72% found it helped get them stronger and fitter 61% found it helped them gain their confidence 88% are very likely to recommend the programme to another young adult living with cancer 100% felt that our group exercise classes helped get them moving again “When I started, I had been off work for 7 months and I could barely walk up a flight of stairs without needing a rest. After finishing the programme I am back to work full time and cycling 6 miles there-and-back a couple of times a week. I would highly recommend the programme, and am so grateful to Trekstock for giving me this opportunity.” WAYS WE SUPPORT - PRACTICAL INFO We’ve recently produced a Food and Cancer - What’s The Deal? nutrition resource with our Ambassador, Dr Hazel Wallace, The Food Medic and a team of experts. Since launching we've had an overwhelming response from young adults with cancer, family members and healthcare professionals from across the UK. “As a cancer research nurse, I've found educating myself about nutrition within cancer difficult and therefore can empathise with patients who are also looking to find out the same information. This has been amazing to read and so useful, I have learnt a lot from this” We listen to and value your feedback as it helps to shape the events and programmes as all we offer is based on your suggestions. We couldn’t do this without your input. If you have ideas, questions or feedback - feel free to get in touch [email protected]. DOWNLOAD 2018 MEET & MOVE EVALUATION DOWNLOAD 2019 MEET & MOVE EVALUATION download 2017/18 annual report DOWNLOAD 2018/19 ANNUAL REPORT