Create and collaborate in the North Star Cancer Collective

The evidence:

  • The State of the System report (2024) found that “all of these reforms cannot be consistently achieved at scale by any one organisation within the sector. It will require an enhanced long-term ​well-being of children and young people with cancer, ​ and their families, a systemic and coordinated approach.”  

  • Collective impact is a network of community members, organisations, and institutions who advance equity by learning together, aligning, and integrating their actions to achieve population and systems level change” (Collective Impact Forum, 2025). 

  • Collective impact emphasises shared agendas, shared measurement, and mutually reinforcing activities. Evidence shows collective impact can drive meaningful systems and population-level change, particularly where backbone support, shared metrics, equity, and strong community engagement are well-integrated (ORS Impact and Spark Policy Institute, 2018).  

What we are curious about:

  • Can we create greater impact through collective action? 

  • How can new models of governance enable system improvement? 

  • How can we lead the way in driving this change to reduce fragmentation across the system? 

What we want to see happen:

  • As a Collective, we want to develop greater collaboration and engagement across the cancer support system.

  • Building on these as we continue our collective work will lead to an increase in boldness to test new ideas and innovate. This will strengthen cross-organisational trust, data sharing, and aligned actions.

  • By working together, we can create a less fragmented system, with less duplication, and a better experience for children, young people, and families. 

Why is this important?

  • The system is currently fragmented, with siloed organisational efforts limiting innovation and impact. We believe stakeholder collaboration and a test‑and‑learn mindset will improve long‑term wellbeing for children, young people with cancer and their families. 

  • Using system-wide frameworks, we aim to map the collective impact initiative's work, while creating novel system level learning and evaluation, and building stronger relationships, challenging power and shifting mindsets within the Collective.