It s also really good fun and a chance to let your hair down whether you have hair right now or not! But don t take our word for it. Here is what some people who have been to FYSOT have told us: We re so glad you re interested in the Find Your Sense of Tumour Weekend. It s an amazing event for so many reasons. A lot of young people say it s a chance to finally be themselves after months or years of struggling to express themselves or worrying about upsetting people if they say the wrong thing. Being surrounded by people who really do understand is a powerful thing and many lifelong friendships have begun there. A place where everyone understands and you don't have to explain anything because they understand and have been through similar situations. An amazing experience that will leave you with more information and friends. GO - it's the best time you will ever have! This is a guide to everything you need to know about the event and what to expect. We look forward to seeing you there soon!
OK, SO WHAT IS FIND YOUR SENSE OF TUMOUR? It s a weekend away for young people aged 13-17 who ve had cancer. The event is planned by other young people who ve had cancer to make sure it is as fun, useful and supportive as possible. Expect to laugh a lot, learn a lot and make friends for life. WHERE IS IT? The event is held at Whitemoor Lakes activity centre, about 20 miles from Birmingham. It s surrounded by beautiful countryside and there s loads to do, so it s a really good place to get away from it all and relax. HOW DO I GET THERE? If you re going with a group from a Teenage Cancer Trust unit, you ll travel there together with your Youth Support Coordinator. If you re coming on your own, get in touch and we can help you make travel arrangements. HOW LONG DOES IT LAST? You ll arrive on Friday evening and leave on Sunday afternoon. If that seems like a long time, don t worry time flies when you re having this much fun! WHO ELSE WILL BE THERE? There will be around 100 young people aged 13-17, plus whole team of Teenage Cancer Trust staff, volunteers and support teams. There will always be someone from the charity around if you need anything. WHAT GOES ON? It s a packed schedule, with talks from some amazing people, workshops, activities and entertainment in the evening. This usually covers topics like friendship, getting back into education or moving into work, nutrition and exercise, and relationship and fertility. There are lots of activities going on all weekend, but it s not all cancer based, so don t worry about it being too heavy. You can sign up to the things that interest you most. This short video from 2016 gives a flavour of what you can expect.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? Whitemoor Lakes offers loads of outdoor activities if you re feeling adventurous, such as a climbing wall, abseiling, zip wires, rope courses and much more. We re also offering some more relaxing options like massages, art workshops and makeovers. DO I HAVE TO JOIN IN WITH EVERYTHING? No! This is your weekend, so you can do as much or as little of the activities that are available. It s totally up to you. You can go for a walk around the amazing grounds and lake, and there is a chill out space if you fancy some quiet time. WHERE WILL I BE SLEEPING? You ll be in a bedroom with 4 or 5 beds. If you ve travelled with a group you ll all be placed together, and male and female bedrooms will always be separate. All the rooms are easy to walk to and there are chill out areas with a TV and small kitchen nearby, so you can make yourself at home! WHAT IF I M NOT FEELING VERY WELL? Don t worry. We will have a medical team from Central Medical Services on site all weekend and they can provide 24 hour medical support. If you are taking any medication, please remember to bring it with you and CMS will look after it for whilst you are on site. ARE MEALS INCLUDED? Of course we wouldn t want you going hungry! There will be dinner on Friday and Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Every meal will have two options so you should find something you like. I HAVE SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS IS THIS OK? Absolutely. Just let us know when you apply to attend and we ll take care of it. WHAT SHOULD I PACK? You should bring comfortable shoes, such as trainers or walking boots, for the outdoor activities, plus a warm jumper and a waterproof just in case it rains. You ll also need cool, comfortable clothes for the rest of the weekend. And don t forget to pack some sun screen!
HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED TO BRING? There s tuck shop where you can buy snacks, and there s also a Teenage Cancer Trust stand where you can buy bracelets, badges and souvenirs from the weekend. We would suggest 10-15 will be plenty. I HEAR THERE S FANCY DRESS INVOLVED Oh yes, we love a bit of fancy dress at Teenage Cancer Trust. We ll all be slipping into our costumes for the party on Saturday night so check out this year s theme and get creative! If nothing else, it s a good chance to laugh at how silly we all look Teenage Cancer Trust is a registered charity: 1062559 (England & Wales); SC039757 (Scotland)