Nottingham's Vicky McClure has announced a hometown gig as her first act as a Teenage Cancer Trust Icon. Vicky will launch 'This is Nottingham' on Saturday, December 3, at the Metronome Nottingham, to help raise awareness and funds for the charity's vital support services for 13 to 24 year olds with cancer as part of her new role in the charity.
The performance will be a homage to her BAFTA winning performance in 'This is England', and will feature local talent, including the drum and bass artist BRU-C, and more names set to be added imminently. Due to the expected demand for the event, people will need to enter a raffle to try and secure a ticket.
The raffle will open from Friday, October 14 and entries will cost £10 for the chance to win a pair of tickets. Vicky said: “Nottingham is a hotbed of talent, from Oscar nominees to Olympic champions to chart toppers, so it feels right that a place with two Teenage Cancer Trust units should be hosting this incredible event. I’m so proud to call this city my home.
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"Teenage Cancer Trust was founded on the understanding that young people are special which is why it is so important for this to be a celebration of young people and rising talent.” Vicky’s involvement with the charity started when she visited and later opened The Hogarth Teenage Cancer Trust hospital unit at Nottingham City Hospital 10 years ago.
She then joined the charity as an ambassador, and now as a Teenage Cancer Trust Icon, where Vicky has volunteered a year of her time to help raise funds and awareness for the charity. Kate Collins, Chief Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We’re delighted to announce Vicky as our first Icon.
"In these increasingly hard times it’s getting tougher and tougher to raise the funds needed to keep vital services for young people with cancer going, so Vicky’s commitment to Teenage Cancer Trust and young people with cancer is phenomenally important. With her help, we’ll also be able to shine a spotlight on the needs of young people with cancer – keeping them and their needs in the public eye."
Kerry Worton, 24, from Ripley, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in May 2022. She said: “The Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Nottingham City Hospital doesn’t feel like a cancer ward at all.
"Considering it’s in a hospital, it’s a really relaxed and comfortable place to be. Meeting Vicky was great.
"She was so easy to talk to and clearly cares a huge amount about the work that Teenage Cancer Trust does. It was so nice of her to sit down with everyone, take the time to listen to each young person, and hear what we're going through.”
Logan Evans, 20, from Nottingham, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December 2020, and he got to meet Vicky. He said: "It was great when Vicky McClure came to visit.
"All the nurses were so excited, and it was really fun to be part of it. Vicky listened really well to all our stories and seemed genuinely interested.
"She clearly wanted to help in any way she could.” The star recently revisited the Hogarth unit and met with young people and Teenage Cancer Trust funded nurses and youth support coordinators, and learnt more about how they have been coping during the ongoing pandemic.
Claire Boon, Teenage Cancer Trust Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Hogarth unit, said: “I have met Vicky a couple of times on the unit; she is always delightful, kind and funny.
"She has a real way with the young people; she puts them at ease immediately with her warmth and relaxed approach. She also deals with the nurses who are fans with humility and self-effacement.
"We are so grateful that Vicky is taking this opportunity to increase awareness of the Teenage Cancer Trust whilst raising much-needed funds. It is imperative that as a charity we continue to provide age-appropriate specialist care and units, it is also vital that we continue to fight for the voices of young people with cancer to be heard and understood.”
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