Line of Duty star Vicky McClure meets with youngsters supported by Teenager Cancer Trust

Line of Duty star Vicky McClure spent the day meeting young people who are being supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Nottingham sweetheart Vicky, who has been an ambassador for Teenage Cancer Trust since 2013, was joined by fellow celebrity supporters of the charity, including Frank Lampard OBE, TV presenter Gaby Roslin, Olympic diver Matty Lee, DJ Joel Correy, TikTok Star GK Barry, and actor Sir Ben Kingsley.

Hosted by Teenage Cancer Trust and held at London’s Middle Eight hotel, the "Ultimate Meet and Greet" event saw teenagers and young adults meet the celebrities, and talk about their experiences of cancer, and the importance of the charity.

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Teenage Cancer Trust specialist nurses and Youth Support Coordinators, who support young people to make sure they don’t face cancer alone, were also there.

In 2013, Vicky opened the Hogarth Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Nottingham City Hospital and in 2022, she became the charity’s first Icon - a celebrity-led programme driven by famous faces from across the entertainment industry who are committed to delivering real change for young people with cancer. 

Carrying on an amazing legacy

Vicky said, "I’m always so proud to see the amazing work Teenage Cancer Trust does. It was such an honour for me to open the Nottingham Unit a decade ago, and meet one of their Lead Nurses at this event, who is carrying on that amazing legacy in the hometown I love."

There are two Teenage Cancer Trust units at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. One at the Queen’s Medical Centre which is for 13-18 year olds and one at Nottingham City Hospital for 19-24 year olds.

Each year, 2,600 young people aged 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer, with this number set to rise. Cancer rates in young people in the UK have gone up by a quarter since the early 1990s. By 2030, it’s projected that the number of young people living with a cancer diagnosis will be 65% higher.

Each young person who is diagnosed with cancer will need specialist age-appropriate nursing care and support to get them through it. Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to meeting this vital need.

Teenage Cancer Trust funds specialist nurses, youth support teams and hospital units within the NHS to provide the very best care and support during treatment and beyond, making sure cancer doesn’t stop young people from living their lives.

‘An honour’

Jamie Johnson, Head of Music & Entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: "Teenage Cancer Trust has such a strong heritage within the entertainment industry, so being able to show our talented supporters directly how their help changes lives was incredible to see.

“There were people in the room who would have been on many a dream dinner-party list, so to have them together giving hours of their time to hear our stories was such an honour."