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The Youth Cancer Trust was set up by John Scott and Brenda Clark in 1997 to provide peer support holidays for young people suffering from cancer or any other malignant disease.

The Tracey Ann house provides a place these young people can go to with a friend, brother or sister to make friends with other young people going through similar experiences and have fun away from hospital, improving their quality of life. 

I believe in this charity so much because from personal experience, it holds a very important place in my heart. Back in summer 2008, I spent a week in the Tracey Ann house in Bournemouth with a very special friend, Amanda. At just 16, Amanda was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. However, she never let this stop her from living life to the full. As soon as she turned 17 she passed her driving test and carried on doing everything a typical 17 year old girl would do, seeing friends, going to concerts, hosting parties and going on several holidays to Bournemouth with her sister and friends. 

During our time in Bournemouth, me and Amanda spent the most amazing 5 days together, doing everything from swimming, boat rides, go karting and water skiing to walks along the beach, going to the cinema and eating tubs full of mint choc chip ice cream infront of the telly! All we did was laugh all day! She could make me laugh like no one else could.
What's more, it was all completely free. The Youth Cancer Trust provide these holidays for free for both the young person and their friend/sibling so parents don't have to worry about cost and can also take a break. However, they receive no statuatory funding and therefore rely on the support of the public to keep these holidays going.

Amanda loved going to Bournemouth so much and I was lucky enough to see why. The team are so passionate about what they do and were always so warm and friendly towards us. What they give to these young people is invaluable and I feel really strongly that they should continue being supported. So, after much thought, I have decided to run the half marathon in memory of Amanda, the strongest, bravest and most beautiful angel, who sadly lost her battle to cancer in February 2009, just before her 18th birthday. Any donation you can give I will appreciate so much no matter how small.

Thank you for reading