CEO celebrates 20 years at helm of Dame Ellen MacArthur's cancer charity

Frank Fletcher celebrates 20 years as CEO of Dame Ellen MacArthur's cancer charity © Tom Steventon / www.tomsteventonphotography.uk

Dame Ellen MacArthur has paid tribute to Frank Fletcher - CEO of her young person's cancer charity - as he celebrates 20 remarkable years at its helm.

Having taken over the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust reins on 3 November 2005, Fletcher has overseen two decades of growth and impact with more than 3,500 young people experiencing the charity's unique magic during his time as CEO.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. When treatment ends, the Trust's work begins because for so many of them, picking up from where they left off before cancer isn't possible.

A proud South Londoner, Fletcher was involved in setting up the charity with Dame Ellen and her then business partner and sailing entrepreneur, Mark Turner, in 2003, acting as a Trustee while also skippering on sailing trips in its first two years.

What happened in the next 20 years is exceptional; growing the number of young people benefitting from the charity's life-changing trips from 44 in 2005 to more than 650 in 2025, establishing it as a national charity with a nationwide reach after adding a base in Largs, Scotland to its initial Isle of Wight home in 2013, and extending the scope of support to all children, teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer, year-round mental wellbeing and support for siblings too.

He also successfully navigated the charity through the choppy waters of Covid in 2020, when its usual four-month season of 30+ four- and five-day trips had to move online with a 'Virtual Summer' so young people could still get the vital post-treatment support they needed at a time they needed it most.

His motivation today is the same as it was 20 years ago. Dame Ellen explains: "I have known Frank for nearly 30 years and he is a special human being. The most wonderful side of him is the way he relates to the young people. He truly loves his job, and his relationship with those young people is humbling to witness.

"He cares a huge amount for every single young person, they always come first, and he does not relent in pursuing the very best experience for every single one.

"Frank puts his heart and soul into everything he does for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. He is an outstanding and hugely respected individual who deserves to be recognised for all he does. I am very proud to be one of his friends!"

Fletcher added: "It is a privilege to mark 20 years as the CEO of this incredible organisation. To have been able to call this my job for two decades is a total honour and it means as much to me now as it did in 2005.

"When we started out, we knew very little about young people and cancer. We quickly learned this wasn't just a 'nice to have', this was essential in young people starting to rebuild their lives after the trauma of diagnosis and treatment. Together, we must keep creating the magic that inspires more brighter futures."

Fletcher's focus has already turned to next summer while steering the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust into year one of its next four-year strategy in 2026. For more information visit www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org and follow @emctrust across social media.