TWENTY years ago a heartbroken mother lost her 21-year-old daughter to cancer.

Devastated Brenda Clark was determined to help other young people with the disease.

With help from John Scott OBE, friends and medical professionals, she established the Youth Cancer Trust in memory of Tracy Ann.

She wanted young cancer patients to have somewhere to go to share their experiences with others in a similar situation.

And for the last 11 years, the Bournemouth-based charity has provided free holidays in Alum Chine for young people who have cancer and terminal illnesses.

The support the trust provides is so vital that Brenda has had to lift the upper age limit so her longest standing holidayers can keep coming back.

Now the Daily Echo launches a campaign to help raise £250,000 so the YCT can continue to develop its vital work.

The need is more pressing than ever.

Six teenagers a day are diagnosed with cancer.

Brenda said: "Before Tracy got cancer I had never heard of young people having it. It was a real shock for me."

She noticed there was nowhere for Tracy to go to meet other young people in a similar situation .

Although there are some specialist teenage cancer wards many young people are treated on wards with adults.

So Brenda created the Youth Cancer Trust at Tracy Ann House in Studland Road, Alum Chine.

It's a home from home where they can meet other sufferers who really understand what they are experiencing.

She said: "We try to make it as easy as possible to come here.

"It's very important we keep it free. A youngster getting cancer can put a huge financial strain on the family.

"Some of the young people who come here might not have met people their age with cancer.

"This is a safe environment for them to make friends.

"After a holiday here they get more confidence and perhaps are better able to face the next bout of chemotherapy."

During their stay in Bournemouth the youngsters can go horse riding, go-karting, do watersports and other activities.

Each group decides exactly what they want to do. If they want every young person can bring with them a friend or sibling to share the week.

Brenda said: "We are here all the time. We're not just a summer camp - so if any of the youngsters are feeling depressed or get re-diagnosed it is nice to be able to be here for them."

The Youth Cancer Trust recently increased the age limit from 14 to 30 rather than 25.

As the YCT is now in its 11th year, some of the youngsters who were diagnosed as teenagers have now reached 25.

Many of them expressed great disappointment about not being able to come on a holiday again as it was perhaps their only chance of getting together with the same group of friends.

One group has been coming for the past 8 years - after becoming friends on their first YCT holiday.

They live with cancer or the effects of having had cancer and had reported feeling very isolated and unable to live normal' lives.

The YCT has become a lifeline for them, as it had for hundreds of others.

Now the charity is planning for the future.

Brenda wants to build an extension to the house that will enabling them to take another two young people per holiday.

She also wants to redecorate and revamp the existing accommodation.

The £250,000 project will provide more accommodation, a larger games room with better facilities and more car parking.

The trust also needs a larger, specially adapted minibus.

Brenda said: "This house as served us very well over the last decade but now it is time to move forward."

Over the next few months the Daily Echo will be running a series of articles updating readers on the progress of the fundraising campaign and telling some of the heart-wrenching tales of the young people who visit the house.

* To donate money please send cheques payable to Youth Cancer Trust Appeal 2008 to YCT, Tracy Ann House, 5, Studland Road, BH4 8HZ or call 01202 763591. Visit yct.org.uk or email admin@ yct.org.uk