Member Article

New Structure New Look for TYAC

Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer (TYAC) the UK’s only membership body for professionals involved in the care of teenagers and young adults with cancer, has announced it has a new status and new look.

At its recent Annual Conference in Leicester TYAC’s ambition was realised to become a registered charity. This was a key strategic objective identified by the extensive, TYAC-wide development review conducted in 2015, which also resulted in the appointment of TYAC’s first director, Melanie Howard, in January 2016.

TYAC was first established in 2004 in response to the recognition that the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer were not being met and could be better understood. Until 2016, TYAC operated as an unincorporated association.

To reflect its new organisational structure and standing as an Approved Professional Organisation and Learned Society, TYAC also unveiled new branding at the Conference attended by 100 professionals from across the country.

A new logo and refreshed branding reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of TYAC’s membership, with professionals from a wide range of disciplines working together to achieve the best possible care for young people with cancer.

Thanks to support from a charitable foundation, another key development in the pipeline is the redevelopment of TYAC’s website planned for launch in September.

Dr Dave Hobin, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist and TYAC Chair, commented on the developments, “Achieving registered charity status is a key milestone in TYAC’s history and development. The organisation has come a long way since 2004. TYAC’s members can be rightly proud of what they and TYAC have achieved by working together to have a positive impact on the standard and quality of care and experiences of young people with cancer. It is this collaborative spirit that is our strength.”

“Creating a new modern look for the charity helps to underpin our new status. At the centre of the refreshed appearance is an icon which has been designed to be reminiscent of a cancer cell under a microscope, the multi-coloured dots signify the multi-disciplinary nature of our organisation and the rich variety of our membership, working together to deliver the best possible outcomes for teenagers and young adults with cancer.

“As a symbol for what TYAC does and believes in, the logo provides instant recognition of the charity’s values and communicates them in a positive way. The logo allows the organisation to project an instantly recognisable presence wherever it is displayed.

“We now have a new legal structure and fresh new look that reflects the professionalism of our organisation and its members. This is an exciting time for TYAC and our members can look forward to more new developments in the months to come and we welcome their continuing, active participation.”

TYAC believes that every young person with cancer has the right to prompt diagnosis and age-appropriate treatment and support from specialist professionals trained in caring for young people with cancer.

As a membership organisation TYAC brings together professionals from a wide range of disciplines to share best practice, enhance knowledge and services, empowering members to have a positive impact on the quality of life and survival outcomes for young people with cancer.

Alongside its main funding partners (Teenage Cancer Trust and CLIC Sargent), TYAC has been instrumental in promoting teenage and young adult cancer care as a distinct discipline. The value of specialist training and a holistic approach to supporting the young person, not just focusing upon treatment of the disease, is increasingly recognised.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .