By Tara Winston
SA YCS Youth Advisory Group | Canteen Youth Advisory Team
The Youth Cancer Services (YCS) Youth Advisory Groups met in Sydney in July 2024 during the National Youth Cancer Consumer Forum
Over 3 days, we met New Zealand’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) representatives about the Travel Assistance Scheme they have been working on, something that I personally resonate with living almost a two-hour drive from my treatment hospital and something I have been inspired to take into my role within the youth advisory groups to develop a stronger outreach of services into rural communities.
We also heard from LGBTQ+ Advocates from Sock Drawer Heroes and Luke Escombe, a musician, comedian and chronic illness advocate, who offered a group of young people the opportunity to create a piece of music and music video representing the cancer experience.
We even did some group activities including creating video campaigns advocating for the lack of accessible transport for cancer patients undergoing treatment. This taught us skills of how we can put our ideas into campaigns to take to media. I got the opportunity to incorporate my own personality into this project and add dark humour into a video, something I think I can use in the future to really bring young people together while also showing the unique personalities and sense of humour that young people develop while facing cancer.
While all the guest speakers were amazing, the conversations, stories and connections shared by our groups shone through as the heart-filling reason Youth Cancer Services and our incredible support staff do what they do.
For young people like me, these events provide a safe space to bond over shared experiences without judgment and build friendships with deeper meaning than most. It is inspiring to address problems that we see daily within the AYA community but aren’t necessarily put as a priority, things we strive to better for the young people who have to face similar experiences in the future.
On behalf of our young people, thank you to all who contribute to the planning and development of events like these, you keep us connected and provide us space to thrive in survivorship.
Part of the South Australia YCS Youth Advisory Group, Tara Winston is a cancer survivor and both a Youth Advocate and Youth Ambassador for Canteen.
