We are here to champion the needs of those impacted by childhood cancer in Wales.
We are here to advocate for and amplify the voices of patients and families, to influence and achieve positive change.
Alongside the families we support, our charity partners, healthcare colleagues and supporters, we campaign for change so children and young people with cancer and their families in Wales get the support they need, and never face the journey alone.
Latch is a member of the Wales Cancer Alliance (WCA) which is a coalition of charities working to prevent cancer, improve care, fund research and influence policy in Wales.
The WCA believes that people affected by cancer and their carers should be at the heart of co-creating new services and cancer policy. The third sector has an important role to play in developing, reshaping and delivering improvements in cancer care. We do this by working in partnership with the Welsh Government, the NHS, local government and other stakeholders.
WCA Children and Young People's Subgroup
Latch is a founder member of the WCA's Children and Young People' Subgroup that was established in 2024.
Organisations working in the field of children and young people with cancer in Wales are members of the Subgroup. The purpose of the Subgroup is to provide a dedicated, collaborative forum to focus on the unique needs and experiences of children and young people's cancer and to advocate on policy issues related to this age group in Wales.
Priority topics of focus during 2024 - 2025 for the Subgroup have included:
In November 2024, the Jacob Crane Foundation began a meaningful partnership with Latch, committing to make regular contributions that will directly support financial grants for families across Wales whose children are undergoing cancer treatment. This partnership strengthens Latch's financial support and honours Jacob’s memory.
The Foundation was established in memory of 17-year-old Jacob Crane, who tragically passed away in May 2024 from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Jacob’s strength, courage, and spirit inspired his family and friends to create a lasting legacy in his name, one that would help other families facing the enormous challenges of childhood cancer.
For more than 40 years, Latch has been a cornerstone of support for families affected by childhood cancer in Wales. The charity provides a wide range of services, including on-site family accommodation at the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff, a dedicated team of social workers, financial assistance, and special memory-making experiences such as cinema trips, Build-A-Bear visits, and on-ward entertainment for children and their loved ones.
By contributing to Latch's grants programme, the Jacob Crane Foundation is helping ensure that no family faces financial hardship alone while their child is receiving treatment. This partnership not only strengthens the reach of Latch's financial support but also honours Jacob’s memory by offering comfort, stability, and hope to families during the most difficult times of their lives.
A united campaign for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month led by Joseph's smile.
Each day in the UK, 10 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer - a life-changing and devastating reality. Of those, two will sadly not survive. For many of the survivors, long-term side effects can have a lasting and profound impact on the rest of their lives.
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Every September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) shines a spotlight on the realities faced by children with cancer.
Latch has been supporting CCAM over the years to highlight the unique needs and experiences of children with cancer, to help create the change we want to see so that every family gets the help and care they need and never face the journey alone.
For CCAM 2025, Latch supported a brand new Childhood Cancer Awareness campaign, Kids Get Cancer Too, that aims to unite charities, businesses, families, and the public, with one powerful goal: to make childhood cancer impossible to ignore.
To find out more about this innovative campaign visit Kids Get Cancer Too.
