Candlelighters

‘Candlelighters’ is the registered charity started in 1976 by parents and medical staff to support the work of the Regional Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology and Haematology Unit here in Leeds. The Trustees of the charity are still parents whose children have been treated at the Unit and the consultants responsible for their treatment.

The dedicated help that Candlelighters give in supporting the Unit is seen in many ways. Financial assistance is provided for families in times of hardship. Help is offered by encouraging support groups for parents, siblings and teenagers and by providing holiday breaks in the Candlelighters’ chalets and caravans in Bridlington and Filey.

Some of the money raised is used to fund additional staff for the unit and to purchase medical equipment for the ward, outpatient’s clinic, bone marrow transplant unit and for use in the home. Many of the books, toys and games available on the ward have been bought by  Candlelighters.

A major area of Candlelighters funding is their support for research into various aspects of childhood cancer and leukaemia. In 1992 following a major fundraising initiative, the Candlelighters’ Children’s Cancer Research Laboratory was opened on the St. James’s site. A Candlelighters Grant also supports one full time research nurse post.