St Andrew

One of the key charities we support is the Cancer Bank Blackburn, a local organisation that provides practical and emotional support to individuals and families affected by cancer. In line with our values of compassion and service, we believe it is important to reach out and support those in our community who are facing difficult health challenges.

The Cancer Bank was founded by Dan Theobalds, an inspirational former Head Teacher from Lower Darwen, to support individuals undergoing treatment for Cancer. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, Dan used his own experience with to create essential care packages that provide comfort and support to others undergoing such things as chemotherapy on their cancer journey. The organisation also provides Health and Wellbeing activities for free as well as health guidance. 

The idea for The Cancer Bank came from our founder Dan, who, whilst sitting in the chemo unit of the Royal Blackburn Hospital in Spring 2022, realised that many people on a similar journey to his own, were choosing between treatment and working.

Our primary purpose is to provide packages of essential items needed by patients undergoing treatment for cancer, donated by the public, in order to reduce the financial burden.

Our values, the foundation on which all work is undertaken, are:

• Care
• Compassion
• Community
• Connection

Through our charitable endeavours at St Mary and St Joseph's, we aim to nurture in our pupils a lifelong appreciation for the importance of giving back and using their skills and resources to serve those in need. By fostering a culture of compassion and service, we hope to empower our pupils to become active and engaged citizens who make a lasting impact on their community and the world around them.