LATCH Welsh Children's Cancer Charity

Who we are

Our charity is based at the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff, which means we’re here when families need us most. We provide free accommodation in the hospital that keeps families together at a time when their lives are turned upside down.

Families affected by childhood cancer face extra expenses, from travel costs for hospital visits to increased heating bills. Our grants help to relieve this financial pressure.

Dedicated Latch social workers, based in the hospital, help families feel less isolated. They represent them at medical team meetings and help them to access benefits. Social workers also connect families, including siblings, with our fun hospital and community activities. Along with the annual holidays we provide for families, these create memories and improve wellbeing.

Our social workers also provide sensitive bereavement support to families. Sadly, cancer is still the leading cause of death by disease among children and young people in the UK.

We influence health policy, fund hospital facilities and support healthcare professionals so that children affected by cancer have better experiences, care and outcomes.

Our culture and values

We are responsive  

No family’s cancer journey is the same. We proactively reach out to families, find out their needs, and respond quickly as their circumstances change. We really get to know the families we support; we listen to what they want and to find a way to make things more bearable, particularly when times are tough.   

We work with compassion  

Our work is driven by deep and genuine care for every family we support. We act with kindness, and a desire to relieve the burden, where we can.   

We are practical  

We know the little things make a big difference. We focus on empowering families and lifting the burden from their shoulders when the load is too hard to take. We work with a can-do, positive attitude.   

We value community  

We promote an inclusive culture and work together with our volunteers, local branches, health care professionals, partners, families, supporters and staff to achieve our purpose.  

We are hopeful  

We believe things can be better for families facing childhood cancer in Wales. We actively strive to create changes which will improve their experiences in the future.