The Ella Dawson Foundation provides tailored psychological, emotional, physical, nutritional and wellbeing support for young adults aged 18 to 30, as well as their families and carers, at any stage of cancer.

The charity works with healthcare professionals and people with lived experience to help young people rebuild confidence, return to education or work, and rediscover life beyond diagnosis.

Since launching in 2022, the Foundation has supported more than 3,000 young people living with and beyond cancer, along with their families. It is on track to support a further 1,000 young adults this year.

The partnership with ReferAll will digitalise the charity’s referral process, helping it meet growing demand, reduce administration and increase capacity.

Tasha Dawson, co-founder and programme manager at the Ella Dawson Foundation, said: 'Since our launch in 2022 we’ve supported more than 3,000 young people living with and beyond cancer and their families. We’re on track to support another 1,000 young adults this year.

'Adopting the ReferAll platform will streamline our referrals to meet increasing demand and, by reducing admin time, will increase our capacity to support more young people and make a difference to their lives.'

Tasha and her family founded the charity after her sister, Ella, died aged 24 from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. During her illness, Ella identified a need for more specialised mental and physical health and wellbeing support tailored to young people with cancer, and created a wellbeing blueprint to help others like her.

The Foundation receives referrals from almost 100 hospitals across the UK for its eight specialist support programmes, which include personalised exercise rehabilitation, yoga sessions, healthy eating programmes and resources.

Until now, referrals have been managed manually, a process taking around 45 hours a month at the current referral rate. As demand for the charity’s services grows, ReferAll will enable the Foundation to scale more effectively while strengthening data protection and governance procedures.

The platform’s reporting and case management tools will also give the Foundation and its practitioners greater visibility of outcomes and impact, supporting decision-making and helping demonstrate value to funders.

The charity’s mission is to ensure every young adult diagnosed with cancer has the tools and support they need to live well and feel empowered.

According to the Foundation, clients report a 100 per cent improvement in mental health, with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety reduced to mild to moderate levels following its flagship Feel Well programme. All clients also reported an improvement in overall wellbeing, while 90 per cent said they felt more empowered and 94 per cent said they felt more like themselves.

David Outen, customer account manager at ReferAll, said: 'The Ella Dawson Foundation makes a huge difference to the lives of young people living with and beyond cancer.

'By creating a more efficient referral pathway and providing robust governance and reporting tools, we can help Tasha and the team provide more emotional, physical and wellbeing support to young people and their families.'

As part of its strategic development programme, the Ella Dawson Foundation is seeking to expand its network of corporate partners and work with organisations that share its values.

For more information, contact Tasha Dawson at tasha@elladawsonfoundation.org.uk.