Sony Foundation launches ‘Busking For Life’ campaign to raise money for ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centres via the change community

Sony Foundation has recently launched its ground-breaking Busking For Life campaign to raise funds to build a new, desperately needed ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre for 16-25 year olds in New South Wales via the change community, Havas Worldwide Sydney, Red Agency and Finch.

The Sony Foundation launched ‘You Can’ in 2010 in response to the gap in youth cancer care with an aim to build a You Can Centres in each state around Australia.

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Busking for Life is all about empowering young cancer patients and giving them to the opportunity to make a difference to the future of youth cancer care. Currently in Australia, young patients are not always able to access the specialised services and treatment they require. Generally, when young cancer patients turn 16, they are treated in adult wards where their chance of survival can be significantly reduced.

As part of a world-first initiative, patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney busked from their hospital beds to a live audience in Circular Quay via a two-way video feed where passers-by contributed to the $1.5 million required to build the new youth cancer centre. The patients were joined by Sony Music artists Taylor Henderson, Samantha Jade and Reece Mastin who played alongside them as part of the initiative.

Says Sophie Ryan, chief executive officer, Sony Foundation: “Busking for Life demonstrates the positive impact that music can have on young people’s lives. Seeing the excitement and happiness that this project brought to the young cancer patients at Prince of Wales was spine-tingling.

“We are passionate about making a better life for youth cancer patients across the country and this campaign is helping to raise awareness of the issues these inspirational young people face.”

Advertising agency: Havas Worldwide

Production company: Finch