DAME Ellen MacArthur's Largs-based cancer charity for young people is celebrating its biggest summer yet.

The Largs-based charity has supported 671 young cancer survivors nationwide over the last few months.

Hundreds of young people sailed out of Largs Marina between May and September as part of a programme of adventures on the water that inspire young people living through and beyond cancer to believe in a brighter future.

Adam Reilly, 25, joined one of these transformational trips in July, after he was diagnosed with germ cell cancer last year.

He said: “I’d never heard of germ cell cancer prior to my diagnosis. I was in denial for the first part of it.

"Even after I had an operation to remove an initial tumour, it still didn’t really settle in until I got my date to start chemotherapy. That’s when it all hit me at once.

“It was the last thing I was expecting when I went to get checked up on. At worst, I thought it was appendicitis because the pain was in my abdomen. It was really a shock to the system.”

Cancer can have a big impact on a young person’s mental wellbeing beyond treatment, and what happens afterwards can often be as difficult as treatment itself - if not even more so.

This is not understood or talked about as much as it should be, leading young people to feel like they are the only one finding life after cancer just as hard.

Adjusting to this ‘new normal’ can be extremely difficult, which is why when treatment ends, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s work begins.

Reflecting on his sailing adventure, Adam said: “I’ve always been very enclosed and an introvert so getting out of my comfort zone can be difficult at times.

"I’m not the most social person so I had some reservations, but I can’t fault a single thing.

“The trip helped me to share experiences with people who have also been in difficult situations and to know I’m not alone; it’s not an isolated thing. There’s some comfort and relief in that.

“The whole trip shows you that your life is not over when you get cancer. It’s just another hurdle to get through. But it’s really good to know that you can still get back on track and back into your own life.”

Through the charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures, young people gain a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscover their independence, and feel optimistic about what comes next in life.

They realise what they are capable of, stop feeling like ‘the only one’, and their mental wellbeing improves.

They start to re-establish their purpose and place in the world and believe in a brighter future.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there for anyone looking for support, no matter how long off treatment they are.

Visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.