About us

Canteen supports 12-25 year-olds dealing with their own diagnosis, a close family member’s cancer or the death of a loved one. Our services also now extend to parents, because when they cope better with cancer and communicate openly, their children are likely to experience less distress and anxiety.

Youth leadership is part of our DNA. Canteen was set up by a group of young cancer patients in 1985 and young people still guide the organisation at every level. Canteen is unique in that the majority of the Board of Directors are young leaders plus we have incredible youth ambassadors who share their stories to raise awareness and funds for Canteen.

Our incredible young leaders from Australia and New Zealand have come together to champion the digital leadership space launching a new podcast series. Their contributions to the Cancer Unscripted podcast showcase the power of digital storytelling in a series of short audio stories that highlight the diversity of experiences young people face when navigating cancer.