Welcome to the homepage of CCLASP

Children with Cancer and Leukaemia Advice and Support for Parents (CCLASP) is a children's charity run by parents, whose children have been affected by various types of cancer.

CCLASP is based in Edinburgh and it's patrons include former Scottish Internationalist and Hearts Striker John Robertson, former footballer and Edinburgh businessman Paul Kane, former snooker World Champion Stephen Hendry MBE and his manager Mr Ian Doyle.

Acheivements

Our achievements include:

• Providing vital transport to clinics and wards for almost 400 families, covering over 30,000 miles, costing £6,000 in fuel and almost £2,000 in insurance for our Variety Club Sunshine Coach minibus.


• Sending 36 families on holiday to our caravan in Berwick Upon Tweed, 47 families to Donna’s Dream House in Blackpool, 4 families to Chamonix, 2 families to a cottage in Keith, 56 teenagers to YCT in Bournemouth, 24 sick children to Camp Quality in Dorset and secured insurance, accommodation and Disney passes for many families travelling to Disneyland in Florida and Paris.


• Organising 9 huge fun events – Easter and Halloween trips to the pictures with lots of goodies thrown in. Summer Picnic at Carberry Towers with teddy bear hunts. 4 Christmas outings, one party for under 12s, one teenage outing and 2 trips to different Pantomimes with the added bonus of a private party with the cast in attendance. Approximately 200 attended some of these outings.


• Continuing to run our telephone helpline for families who need support during this devastating time in their lives, there is nothing more consoling than to speak to someone who understands, another parent with similar experiences. We have also ran Parent Support Group meetings whenever and wherever they are requested, all over Scotland.


• Organising many fundraising events, some which are now annual events, e.g. walking over hot coals, rollerblading over the Forth Road Bridge, Annual Charity Ball, all with the help of parents, volunteers, sick children, friends and Patrons to help raise much needed funds .


• Writing regular newsletters keeping families informed of all things available to them through our charity and keeping in touch with each other, a vital link for some.


• Holding impromptu trips such as making pizzas for Mothers Day and Fathers Day at Pizza Express.


• Organising many dreams come true trips where time is an important factor. Some of these wishes have been as glamorous as a trip on Concorde, a flight in a helicopter, meeting someone famous - to a walk in the park feeding the ducks!


• Providing the Clown entertainment weekly in the ward on Wednesdays – the dreaded theatre days. To see a smiling face at the window when you are in isolation is very uplifting for the parent and the sick child creating a fun and pleasant distraction on a day where pain is the norm.


• Proudly running our new drop-in centre for the parents, teenagers and sick children to us adjacent to the sick children’s hospital in Edinburgh, far enough away to relax but close enough to get back to the hospital wards and clinics in a matter of minutes.


• Helping to organise bone marrow clinics searching for potential donors, a lifeline for some.


• Sending out daily “surprise parcels” to children in wards and at home to cheer them up.

I could go on and on detailing everything we do on a daily basis to help relieve the stress of having a child with a life-threatening illness and we hope to continue all these services for many years to come through the generosity of good people like yourselves. We are truly dedicated to the children and their families.

Everyday is a privilege.

Valerie Simpson

Charity Reg. No.: SCO26520.