Words of Cayr
Give creativity. Someone living with cancer makes something beautiful.
Help us bring arts and creativity to the people who need it most
03
They make their word
The recipient follows the activity at home, in their own time, and creates something to keep.
ABOUTAn art activity box,
gifted to a stranger
When you donate £25 to Words of Cayr, we use that gift to send an art activity box to someone living with cancer, someone who has signed up to receive one.
Each box contains everything needed to create a word through an art activity, a made object that is yours to keep. Right now, our activity centres on a hand-sewn word: a textile piece made stitch by stitch. New activities are being developed for 2025.
You are not buying a box for yourself. You are giving the experience of making to someone else. That distinction is at the heart of what Words of Cayr is.
01
You donate £25
Your donation funds one art activity box for someone living with cancer.
02
We send the box
Cayr matches your donation to a recipient from our waiting list and sends their box.
the giving ethosYou give.
They make.
Words of Cayr is not a shop. You don’t donate £25 and instantly receive a box for yourself, even if you are living with cancer.
This is intentional. The act of giving, of contributing something to a stranger's day, is part of what makes this meaningful. Your donation is a gift from you to someone you will never meet.
If you are living with cancer and would like to receive a box, you can sign up as a recipient below. When a donation is matched to you, we will be in touch.
"Creativity is a way of being present when everything feels uncertain. A gift of making is a gift of time, time that belongs entirely to you."
— Cayr, on the Words of Cayr ethos
The activities
Every box centres on
making a word
Each art activity in Words of Cayr is designed around the creation of a word, chosen by you, made by your hands. The medium changes; the intention doesn't.
available nowThe Sewn Word
Using simple hand-stitching techniques, recipients create a word in thread on fabric. No sewing experience is needed. The box includes everything, fabric, thread, needle, a hoop, and step-by-step guidance designed by artist Emily Jo Gibbs. This activity grew from Cayr's Pink Stitch programme and has been shaped by years of work with people affected by cancer.
More activities in development for 2026 - stay tuned!
The activities
Partner with
Words of Cayr
We are looking for corporate partners to help us scale Words of Cayr, so that more people living with cancer can receive a box, and more people have the chance to give one.
Why partner with us?
Direct, tangible impact, every contribution sends a box to a named recipient
Employee giving and gifting opportunities aligned to your wellbeing agenda
Association with a purposeful, design-led creative health initiative
Co-branding opportunities on box materials and digital campaigns
We are a registered charity and can issue receipts for charitable donations
Get in touch
We would love to talk to you about what a partnership could look like, whether that is a one-off gift, a team donation day, or a longer-term relationship.
Make a donation