Clare Sacco, who has been at London-headquartered The Travel Academy since 2016, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, and subsequently with treatable but incurable stage four cancer in 2023. She said she believed she had identified "a gap" in support for young adults with the same prognosis.
Sacco is currently putting the finishing touches to Embers’ first fundraising event in Elstree, Hertfordshire, on 10 September, which she hopes will raise more than £10,000 for the new charity.
“When I was diagnosed for the second time, and it was incurable, I was looking for resources to help me, but everything was scattered all over the place,” Clare said. “It was quite a lot of work to find anything suitable.
"I also found a lot of the support networks and marketing were aimed at an older demographic. Even some of the bigger charities had older faces in their marketing and they would have articles about ‘how to tell your children about your diagnosis’ rather than ‘how to tell your friends and family’.
“With Embers, I wanted to create something I would have loved to have had.”
When asked how she wants Embers to grow in the future, Clare, 30, said: “I want people to feel connected and supported – not alone and isolated. I want people to have heard of the Embers name and maybe even consider running The Great North Run! The biggest thing, though, is for people in the same position as me to not feel alone.”
Travel firms, including Ritz-Carlton, Hays Travel, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Explora Journeys and Silversea Cruises, have all supported Embers’ debut fundraiser next month.
Prizes, which include a seven-night cruise with flights from Uniworld, a luxury sailing with Azamara, a £500 voucher from Hays Travel and a three-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Abama in Tenerife, will either be given away either in a raffle or auctioned off on the night.
’Support at every step’
Clare added: “I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from colleagues and businesses across the travel industry and cannot thank them enough for their kindness.
"This event would not happen without the donations I have received from cruise lines, hotels and travel agencies, as well as the constant encouragement and backing from Jane and Stuart Goldsmith and Jane Morgan at The Travel Academy who have worked tirelessly, and supported me at every step to turn this event into a reality.”
She also singled out former Celebrity Cruises’ EMEA managing director Jo Rzymowska for praise. “Jo has been a long-time friend of The Travel Academy and has been networking on my behalf,” Clare continued.
Clare also explained that she has “a living list” with several goals that she wants to achieve. The list includes a range of ambitions including completing a Rubik’s Cube, cruise the Alaskan Fjords and raise £10,000 for charity.
She sailed Alaskan Fjords this summer, has yet to complete a Rubik’s Cube but has had several lessons over Zoom with Rubik’s Cube experts and hopes to smash her charity fundraising goal next month.
All proceeds from Embers’ sold-out fundraiser will go towards creating a resource for young adults diagnosed with incurable or terminal cancer, in partnership with Trekstok, a charity supporting people in their 20s and 30s living with cancer.
It will be distributed in hospitals and online to ensure young people can access help and information eliminating the need to research themselves.
Travel organisations looking to support Embers and its charity event through gifts, donations or other fundraising contributions should email clare.sacco@thetravelacademy.co.uk.
