One of the concert highlights of the year is definitely the series of TEENAGE CANCER TRUST gigs held at the Royal Albert Hall. This year would have been as good a series of shows that you would find anywhere. Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and Nile Rodgers were set to perform to raise much needed funds for this incredible charity. Now, like so many others, the event has been cancelled and that leaves the charity will a large financial hole to fill.

Now, South Wales favourite (she was born in Skewen) Bonnie Tyler and Lorraine Crosby have released an updated version of their 2005 duet Through Thick And Thin (I’ll Stand By You) to raise funds for the organisation, for which The Who frontman Roger Daltrey is a patron.

Please download the song and play it and gift it to as many people as you can. The trust really need your support at this time. More importantly, our young people need our support right now. DOWNLOAD

The fight against Cancer continues and will not wait while we battle the current crisis. As the Trust have said ‘cancer doesn’t stop for anything. Many young people with cancer are particularly at risk from coronavirus, facing extreme isolation and uncertainty right now. So they are doing everything they can to support young people throughout this crisis.’

Kate Collins is Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust. She said……

“Following the Royal Albert Hall’s decision to close, Teenage Cancer Trust’s upcoming week of fundraising shows, Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, are postponed. We know this will be a huge disappointment to everyone involved in this year’s shows; the artists who were due to perform, their teams, everyone involved in planning the events and – most of all – everyone who had bought a ticket. However, the health and wellbeing of anyone due to perform, work, volunteer or attend the shows is our overriding priority.”

 “We understand that many people will have questions about what happens next, especially those who have tickets. Please keep hold of your tickets, as we are currently working with partners and artists on answers to these questions and will come back as soon as we can. We are, obviously, very disappointed that we have had to announce this. I’d like to thank everyone who committed their time and support to this year’s shows for their understanding. Together, we will continue to make sure that young people don’t face cancer alone.”

Stereophonics actually performed at the first ever Teenage Cancer Trust gig in 2000 would have kicked off the 20th anniversary shows this year. Following the cancellation they have been working hard to re-schedule the shows for another week during the year but unfortunately this will now not be possible.

The have however secured new dates in 2021 for the following two shows. if you have already bought tickets for these shows they will be valid, but if you can’t make the new dates, your ticket agent will provide a full refund.

• 28th March: The Who – re-scheduled to  Sat 20th March 2021  
• 29th March: Nile Rodgers & CHIC – re-scheduled to Sun 21st March 2021

These cancellations have left a dent in the brilliant work of the trust. Roger Daltrey is begging fans to support this new charity single to keep his Teenage Cancer Trust alive.

Roger said…….

“We need a vital lifeline at the moment and we won’t get it from the first round of charitable money coming out of the Government, because that’s got to be tailored specific.”

“It’s not easy raising money. You go out there with a bucket, and you come back with a million pounds and you see how hard it is. It’s really tough, so it’s heartbreaking to see us in the state that we are in, where all our fundraising has been stopped. All our work, our week of Albert Hall shows that we do…, that’s down the toilet…”

“We deserve to survive this and to survive this we have to raise between five to seven million this year. So whatever you can give – it doesn’t matter what it is, it will really help us.”

The Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff is for 14-25 year olds and has 8 in-patients beds and a day care facility. All bedrooms are equipped with soft furnishings, bespoke furniture, TV, DVD and gaming facilities, and there is dedicated Teenage Cancer Trust Wifi with laptops provided.

The award winning TeenUnit was opened in 2009. The Recreation Room was refurbished in 2016.

Teenage Cancer Trust fund 2 expert staff member at the unit:

• Youth Support Coordinator
• Teenage & Young Adult Lead Nurse

The staff make sure the best possible care is given so that patients are treated as young people first, cancer patients second.

Meanwhile, Bonnie Tyler has said how thrilled she is to have brought this single back for the Trust……

“I couldn’t be more proud of my friend Lorraine’s idea of releasing this duet that we recorded years ago for Teenage Cancer Trust… I hope this single can help them to continue being there, through thick and thin.”

“The lyrics say it all for right now – we all need to support each other through difficult times. If anyone needs a hero now, it’s young people with cancer. They’re going through some of the toughest moments of their lives, and support from Teenage Cancer Trust’s nurses and youth support teams is needed more than ever.”

Through Thick And Thin (I’ll Stand By You) is out now to DOWNLOAD. And ff you’d like to donate directly to the TEENAGE CANCER TRUST, go here. DONATE

Bonnie of course we all know and love for her amazing songs and incredible voice. You also know Lorraine too. She is the female half on this Meatloaf hit. In fact, over 99 million of us have watched this video on You Tube alone.