About Us

Background and introduction to our services...

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The 4 Cancer Group is a specialist respite charity which was set up by a group of five friends who had all lost a close relative or friend to cancer. The charity was set up in late 2001.

Background

The charity’s founders discovered what they collectively call “the power of the holiday”. Day trips away or longer holidays gave each family something to look forward to after the family member with cancer had an operation or a course of treatment. They also provided precious memories if the person later went on to die.

“We believe in the power of the holiday.”

Such periods of respite, proved to be of huge value for all concerned. The ‘4 Cancer’ concept hatched from these basic principles. In 2001, the charity’s founders decided to set up a charity in the hope that other families would benefit in the same way.

Respite

Today, the 4 Cancer Group organises days out and short breaks for families affected by cancer. This is what we call “respite”.

Since 2001, we have been slowly evolving the range of day trips and short breaks that we offer. By the end of 2022, we had sent over 6,750 people away on a respite break and provided over 31,500 respite days!

Our respite trips have been creating memories for families affected by cancer since 2002. From sailing days to short breaks at UK holiday parks, we give families something to look forward to during the most difficult of times.

We believe that ‘time’ is our most precious commodity. Time spent with the people we love, away from the stresses of everyday life at home, can make all the difference. We bring families together in wonderful locations and enable them to create memories which last a lifetime

Why do our days out have a sporting focus?

In addition to organising days out and short breaks with their families, the charity’s founders discovered that they could switch off from the realities of the situation they faced at home, albeit for only a short time. Furthermore, physical exercise helped them to re-charge their batteries to fight another day.

The 4 Cancer Group

As its name suggests, the Group is made up of a number of subsidiaries, mostly focused on a sport or activity. Not only do these sporting subsidiaries encourage people to keep fit and healthy, they provide the funds which make it possible to help up to 1,000 people in the UK every year. So if you are planning to sail, ski, run, trek or cycle in the coming year, why not do it 4 Cancer!