After shedding his brother Robin to a uncommon type of testicular most cancers at simply 24, Toby Freeman wished to verify no different households would undergo the identical destiny. He turned the non-public tragedy he and his household confronted right into a nationwide undertaking, constructing a motion that has saved lives by way of schooling, consciousness and advocacy.
Robin was recognized within the prime of his life in 2011 with a Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumour (a grapefruit-sized tumour in his chest). Following 10 months of therapy, together with a number of rounds of chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant, he was advised there was nothing else his medical staff may do. He handed away surrounded by his family members in December 2011.
Turning Ache into Goal
Toby knew the important thing to reaching younger folks with consciousness round testicular most cancers and different germ cell cancers was tackling these troublesome subjects in massive and daring methods. Since founding The Robin Most cancers Belief in 2012, Toby and his staff have labored exhausting to boost consciousness, scale back embarrassment and save younger lives by way of the early detection of germ cell cancers.
The charity has reached tens of thousands and thousands of younger folks on-line, engaged with tons of of 1000’s of individuals locally and delivered life-saving schooling talks to over 100,000 younger adults in colleges, schools and companies throughout the UK.
Breaking Taboos and Beginning Conversations
Speaking overtly about males’s well being, particularly one thing as private as testicular most cancers, shouldn’t be all the time straightforward. Toby rapidly realised the ability of humour and daring imagery in breaking down obstacles. Campaigns that includes big inflatable testicles, cheeky slogans and crowd pleasing stunts aren’t simply gimmicks; they begin conversations. In these conversations, consciousness spreads, embarrassment drops, and lives are saved by way of earlier detection.
Through the years, The Robin Most cancers Belief has constructed partnerships with colleges, sports activities golf equipment, universities and workplaces, making germ-cell most cancers schooling a part of on a regular basis life. Their workshops combine medical info with actual tales, paired with a little bit of enjoyable to get a youthful viewers engaged, finally serving to younger folks see the truth behind the statistics and perceive the significance of checking themselves frequently.
Toby has taken on quite a lot of powerful challenges, pushing his physique to new limits, placing himself on the market in all kinds of conditions, all to boost consciousness and funds for life-saving work and assist for folks with most cancers. Lately, the staff have tried Guinness World Information, quite a few walks and runs and Toby’s personal Large Ballsy Problem.
In 2025, Toby started to tackle a daring problem, working 350 miles in an enormous testicle costume to boost £240,000 for the charity to ship their lifesaving workshops. This 12 months he’s already run the Brighton and London Marathons, run the size of Hadrian’s Wall, undertaken quite a lot of 10k races and has extra challenges to undertake this 12 months.
The costume itself is not any small feat. Heavy, sizzling and attention-grabbing, it ensures that nobody can ignore the message he’s carrying with him. By sparking laughter, curiosity and dialog, it turns into a instrument for schooling. Folks cease, ask questions, and in doing so, they study one thing that might at some point save their life, or the life of somebody they love.
Making Fundraising Stretch Additional
These inventive fundraising efforts are what is required to chop by way of the noise and a ctually attain folks. It’s no secret that charities throughout the UK are feeling the pinch. The most recent CAF UK Giving Report exhibits complete donations rose to a file £15.4–£15.5 billion in 2024, however the variety of donors fell from 58% in 2019 to simply 50% final 12 months, that’s 4 million fewer folks giving cash. The drop is much more extreme amongst 16-24-year-olds, down from 52% to 36%.
In the meantime, over half of charities report sharply rising demand for companies, and 57% say fundraising has turn into more durable, with many pressured to chop salaries, shrink workplaces or freeze advantages simply to outlive.
This monetary squeeze, and the truth that fewer persons are donating, have solely strengthened Toby and his staff’s resolve to fundraise smarter and extra creatively. From modern on-line campaigns to group partnerships, the Robin Most cancers Belief is working more durable than ever to face out, seize consideration and maintain important schooling going.
Impressed to Maintain Going
What stands out most about Toby is his dedication. He overtly shares that grief by no means disappears, however it may be changed into one thing highly effective. Each marketing campaign, each faculty go to, each podcast episode recorded, each problem taken on in that costume is one other approach of honouring Robin and making good on the promise Toby made to him.
The Robin Most cancers Belief has turn into greater than a charity. It’s a group of individuals, households, associates, survivors, and supporters, all introduced collectively by a shared mission. Its development over the past decade exhibits the distinction that one household’s promise could make when carried ahead with resilience and creativity.
Robin’s household promised him that “he would by no means simply be {a photograph} on the wall” and that one thing good can be born from the lack of him. Robin continues to encourage Toby and the entire Robin Most cancers Belief staff to boost consciousness, scale back embarrassment and save younger lives.
Toby Freeman is a purpose-driven changemaker, speaker, and founding father of The Robin Most cancers Belief, the UK’s main testicular most cancers charity. Host of the Thrive Towards Most cancers podcast, he offers a voice to the most cancers group, sharing uncooked, trustworthy tales from sufferers, caregivers, and clinicians.
