World Rb Awareness week 2012 - find out how you can take part
World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week 2012 runs from May 13-19.
What CHECT is doing to raise awareness
CHECT has teamed up with DaisyFund.org to raise awareness on a global level by co-designing a digital poster aimed at raising awareness through international social networks. The message is hard-hitting in hope of encouraging parents in countries with a lower survival rate to seek help sooner. Please do what you can to circulate this as widely as possible during Rb week. More information will be published on our Facebook site/Twitter feed at the beginning of Rb week. You can connect to our Facebook site here.
Click the image or click here to download the poster as a pdf.
CHECT has also collaborated with the Rb team at the Royal London Hospital to provide a health Q&A column for publications to use across the UK, highlighting the 'white eye' symptom of Rb and what action a parent or carer should take if they see it.
CHECT has printed thousands of our I Spy awareness leaflets and posters, seen right, ready to send out to you to pass on to your community.
How you can help 
Closer to home, we are asking members to target children's centres, nurseries, schools and colleges to get the message out there that young children can get eye cancer.
We have thousands of our I Spy campaign leaflets waiting to send out to you all so please can everyone make an extra effort during this week to get a local education centre on board in supporting our awareness mission.
We have yet to hear of a school or nursery which has turned down a request to distribute our leaflets in book bags or similar for parents to read so hopefully you will have a positive response.
We really need your help with this - we cannot do it alone.
Many of you have already been out and delivered leaflets to your local school/nursery and we are extremely grateful for your efforts.
CHECT working with schools
Do you have personal connections to a nursery/school/college? Perhaps they might consider a fundraising event for CHECT.
We have been very lucky to have won support from several new schools and colleges and our grateful thanks go to the following who have helped in the last few months:
- Barlborough Primary School, Chesterfield - Christmas concert collection/leaflet distribution
- West End Esher Pre-school - May fair in benefit of CHECT
- The Old Vicarage School, Richmond - CHECT adopted as charity of the year
- Rupert House School, Henley On Thames
- Merrylands Primary School, Essex - leaflets distributions and CHECT assembly/fundraiser
- Harlow College - cake sale by childcare students
- East Durham College - whole college took part in CHECT week to raise awareness and funds.
- Twydall Primary School - awareness stand planned for summer fair and CHECT assembly/fundraiser in October.
Have we missed out your school or college? Please let us know and we will add it on. Email details to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Not connected to a school or college?
If you do not have any connections to a nursery/school/college, don't worry, there are other ways you can help.
Have you considered raising awareness of Rb by telling your story to your local media. Many people who have heard of Rb found out about it through reading or seeing a story of someone affected by it in the media - it is an extremely effective way to spread the word.
If you would like to tell your story please so get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will help you.
To request awareness leaflets and/or posters, email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
with postal details, name
of place where leaflets are being circulated and quantities required.
For help contacting the media email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - everyone has a story to tell no matter how long ago your diagnosis was and we would love to hear from you.
Campaign
Don't forget World Rb Awarenes week is the perfect opportunity to highlight our campaign to publish the signs and symptoms of Rb in Dept of Health material during Rb awareness week - you can link to our campaign page with simple instructions on how you can help us make a difference by making new parents aware of when to take action. Click here for more information.
Good luck everyone - don't forget to let us know how you get on!
New phone number for the London Rb team
The London retinoblastoma service has now moved into the Children’s Eye Clinic in the new hospital at The Royal London in Whitechapel.
The Children’s Eye Clinic is now located on floor 6 of the new building, within the Children’s Hospital. If you have any questions about the move, contact the retinoblastoma team on 020 359 41419.
The new Royal London Hospital is located next to the current hospital in Whitechapel. The Children’s Eye Clinic can only be accessed by taking a lift from Lift Core 9 as shown on the map above. Hospital staff will be on hand to provide assistance. For full details, see the hospital website
Please note the contact number for the Rb team as published in the Spring edition of InFocus is now out of date and has been replaced with the number above.
Download our monthly e-news bulletin
Every few weeks the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust publishes a news bulletin, to keep members and supporters up to date with activities and events they may be interested in from CHECT and other relevant charities.
You can subscribe to our newsletter on our home page or download the text version here.
February 2012
Join us for our 25th party - a weekend to remember!
This year CHECT celebrates 25 years of raising awareness of retinoblastoma, supporting those affected by it and funding research into the disease.
We can think of no better way to mark this momentous milestone than to spend it with you.
We are inviting you all to join us for our big party weekend on October 5/6/7 where you can enjoy sporting events, arts and crafts, makeover sessions, music workshops, live entertainment, children’s outdoor activities and more importantly, lots of FUN for every one of our members, their families and friends, our staff and associated colleagues.
So don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity - put the date in your diary right now!
We have secured a brilliant venue for you to enjoy – set in 235 acres of parkland in the heart of England, Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park appeals to all ages with a range of facilities and attractions making it the ideal location for our event.
We will have a packed programme for all ages to enjoy throughout Saturday and into Sunday.
You can make the most of the site’s excellent facilities, including Aqua park, mini railway, climbing wall, go karts, Quadra cycles, bumper boats, crazy golf, soft play, internet café and arcades. There’s also the chance for fishing and beautiful walks around the nature reserve.
On the Saturday night we will have exclusive use of the state-of-the-art clubhouse, overlooking the beautiful marina, where we will meet for dinner followed by our members’ cabaret – a chance to showcase your talents - fancy dress party for children and a disco to round off the evening.
Our friends at Billing Aquadrome have kindly agreed to reduce their minimum booking period to two nights to make the weekend accessible to as many of our members as possible.
There are a range of woodland lodges and holiday homes for hire offering comfortable accommodation. All have full self-catering facilities, otherwise there are comprehensive catering facilities on site.
Reservations are for a minimum of two nights, arriving on Friday and departing on Sunday morning. Longer breaks are available if desired.
CHECT is able to subsidise accommodation for families who are financially stretched. This option will be detailed in the booking form. Funds are limited so we request you only take up this subsidy if absolutely necessary.
CHECT 25th party weekend details
WHERE: Billing Aquadrome, near Northampton www.billingaquadrome.com
WHEN: October 5-7
ACCOMMODATION:
4-6 berth holiday home (2 bedrooms + sofa bed) - £99 for 2 nights (£49 subsidised) inc. all linen, gas and electric and FREE weekend swimming pass (worth £30).
6-8 berth holiday home (3 bedrooms + sofa bed) - £129 for 2 nights (£59 subsidised) inc. all linen, gas and electric and FREE weekend swimming pass (worth £30).
Camping pods (these are empty wooden huts with electricity points only - you will need to bring your own camping/sleeping equipment) - £58 for 2 nights (£29 subsidised)
Tent pitches - £20 for two nights (1 night option available).
There is more information available in our 25th anniversary bulletin available to download here. A booking form is also now available to download and print off here.
Subsidies are available to CHECT members only. If you would like to become a member of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust you can join online here.
Members' cabaret
We want to celebrate our members’ talents and achievements as much as possible– so if you’re musical, arty, crafty or a killer comic, get in touch to secure a slot in our cabaret showcase or help run a daytime workshop. Young or old, we’ll consider any acts! We have a few members signed up to take part so don’t miss your chance to be a part of our big weekend. Get in touch asap if you're interested in joining in.
Order your back copies of CHECT's InFocus newsletter
Our InFocus newsletter comes out several times a year packed with news and views from the world of retinoblastoma. We feature articles from professionals, inform you on the latest research developments and publish stories from our members reporting on their Rb journeys.
We also keep you abreast of activities within the trust itself, and let you know what the CHECT team has been busy working on - and where your hard-earned donations have been spent.
We have a stock of back issues which we are happy to post out to our members so please get in touch if you would like some sent to you. You can email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
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