Young Lives vs Cancer

For over 21 years, Wetherspoon has proudly supported Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer and their families. In the past year alone, our employees have played darts, hiked, ran, baked, cycled and played football to help to raise over £1,500,000.

Young Lives vs Cancer’s specialist social workers work closely with young people and families to find out how they can help to take away extra stress while going through treatment, such as liaising with employers, helping to access benefits and grants and being a listening ear to talk to.

One of our own employees, Cody, knows exactly how vital this support is. She was diagnosed with sarcoma (bone cancer) at 14, just as she was about to start her GCSEs. She went on to have surgery and chemotherapy, which meant missing a lot of school and being away from friends.

Just five days after turning 15, she had surgery, amputating her right leg, then had chemo for over eight months.

Over two years after treatment finished, Cody’s cancer sadly returned in September 2022 and she had to have more surgery.

Throughout Cody’s treatment, she and her family were supported by Rachel, a Young Lives vs Cancer social worker.

“Rachel has been brilliant, for all of us, not just for me and Cody, but her dad and brother as well, helping with grants and things for Cody. They got her a MacBook because sitting in hospital trying to do her GCSEs and then her A levels was obviously hard. She got things like that to help her to progress with her studies.

“The whole way through Cody’s treatment, Young Lives vs Cancer formed the glue and the zip ties for the whole family. The charity literally kept us together – now even, into remission, it’s still fantastic for us.”

Cody works at The Gold Cape, where she has been a team member for a few months now. Louise, pub manager, says: “Cody is a fantastic team member. We’re able to support her with flexible working patterns. She always wants to work her hardest and always brings a smile.”