Charity activist Stephen Sutton’s legacy is the focus of forthcoming lecture.
The life and legacy of the late Stephen Sutton MBE – the acclaimed charity activist and blogger who raised £5 million for Teenage Cancer Trust – is the focus of a guest lecture at Coventry University this week.
Stephen’s mother Jane Sutton and representatives from Teenage Cancer Trust will be amongst the guests at the lecture, which will take place at the university’s city centre campus on Thursday 11 June 2015. Entitled Stephen’s Story after the Facebook blog he created, the talk is open to the public and is free to attend.
Stephen’s Story will offer a poignant and moving account of the Burntwood-born teenager’s life and will provide an update on some of the projects that his crusading charity work helped to support – including a joint training programme between the university and Teenage Cancer Trust aimed at health professions working in teenage cancer care.
Stephen passed away in May last year at the age of 19. But following his diagnosis and throughout his illness he worked tirelessly to raise money for and draw attention to the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer.
After learning that his condition was incurable, Stephen resolved to live his life to the full and to inspire others. He set up his Facebook page in which he outlined his ambitions and fundraising targets, including a bucket list of 46 things he wanted to achieve in his life ranging from getting a tattoo to going sky diving.
Stephen went on to tick off a number of things on his list, fulfilling personal ambitions like taking part in a Guinness Word Record and, most notably, raising millions for Teenage Cancer Trust and in the process smashing his initial target figure of ten thousand pounds.
His positivity, humour and enthusiasm drew thousands of followers across the world through social media channels and his efforts garnered awards and international acclaim. But Stephen’s endeavours also made an impact at a local level.
In September last year, Teenage Cancer Trust announced that £1.2 million from the £5m funds Stephen raised would be invested to support vital research and education. In recognition of Stephen’s ambition to pursue a medical career, some of this money was used to create 50 scholarships in his name for professionals to undertake training on Coventry University’s postgraduate certificate in Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Care.
Two months later in a mark of respect for his work, the university posthumously awarded Stephen with an honorary doctorate of science, accepted by his mother Jane who now returns to Coventry for this guest lecture about her son’s life and legacy.
Stephen’s Story will be presented by Jane Sutton and a selection of speakers from Teenage Cancer Trust and will take place in in the Goldstein Lecture Theatre in the Alan Berry Building at Coventry University from 6pm to 7pm on Thursday 11 June.
The event is free to attend but places must be booked in advance by registering online at www.eventsforce.net/stephensstory or by contacting Tanya Krekmanova on 024 7765 8674 or via email tanya.krekmanova@coventry.ac.uk.
Teenage Cancer Trust relies on donations to fund all of its vital work. Find out more, get involved or make a donation at www.teenagecancertrust.org.