Father and Son Day: Inspiring open dialogue in men’s health
‘Father and Son Day’, a campaign founded by testicular cancer survivors Daniel Marks and Jack Dyson, takes place in June 2025 for the eleventh year.
Father and Son Day 2025
Last year we were delighted to bring Father and Son Day together with our long-standing partner, Ralph Lauren.
In 2025 Ralph Lauren continues its commitment to the Father and Son Day Campaign in aid of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Father and Son Day will be supported by Ralph Lauren to raise funds for the Charity and encourage conversations around male cancer.
Money raised will support vital research to help more cancers be diagnosed at an earlier, more treatable stage, and also fund psychological support services for Royal Marsden patients and their families.
How to get involved
To support Father and Son Day 2025, you can donate online now. Ralph Lauren customers can also donate at till points in stores across the UK from 5-30 June.
The Charity has been part of Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony initiative since 2013. This global philanthropic programme is dedicated to cancer care and prevention, supporting programmes for research, screening, early diagnosis, treatment, education and patient navigation.
Donate to support early diagnosis research and psychological support services
The Father and Son Day story
Father and Son Day was set up in 2014 by Daniel Marks and Jack Dyson, both survivors of testicular cancer. Their goal is to inspire men to get talking to each other and raise awareness around male cancer, whilst raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
"This is about improving the lives and outcomes of people with cancer and making a difference at the frontline of care" says Jack. "I’m proud of what Father and Son Day represents, and the fact that this is our eleventh year together is just brilliant. It’s a campaign that resonates at so many levels.”
“This campaign is inspired by very personal experience" says Daniel. "Over the last eleven years we have had such fantastic support from friends and partners. We’re thrilled to raise funds for such a worthy cause and are excited for the future.”
'It is about giving back to an organisation that saved my life, and saves thousands more around the world every day'
Daniel Marks, Father and Son Day co-founder
Funding essential mental health support
Psychological support services at The Royal Marsden provide support to patients and families throughout their treatment journey at the hospital. This service is essential to ensuring that the mental health of patients, as well as their families, is treated alongside their physical conditions.
Funds raised through the campaign will go towards supporting the breadth of psychological support services at The Royal Marsden delivered by Clinical Psychologists, Nurse Counsellors, Oncology Psychotherapists and Family Specialists.
Dr Justin Grayer, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead for the Adult Psychological Support Service at The Royal Marsden said: “Looking after the mental health of our patients alongside their physical health as they go through cancer treatment is vitally important. Our team offers one-to-one support to patients, as well as accommodating sessions for patients’ families. Charity funding helps to make this service available for our patients, so we are hugely grateful to Father and Son Day and Ralph Lauren for their continued support this year."
"I’d like to help anyone else who might be suffering in silence"
Father of two, Sam, is passionate about the importance of talking openly about mental health during cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Sam was just 34 when he was diagnosed with an inoperable diffuse brain tumour. He was referred to The Royal Marsden in 2023 and underwent 30 sessions of external beam radiotherapy on a machine called the linear accelerator (LINAC), which is supported by funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. For this radiotherapy, Sam had to wear a mask that was specially made to fit his face.
“Someone called Brooke fit my mask for me, and she walked me through the whole process in such a gentle and calm way. Then she made it more like a spa treatment, just talking me through it all and helping my anxiety. It was a very anxious moment for me, but we were laughing and having a lot of fun.”
“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m a very open person. I’d like to help anyone else who might be suffering in silence, so am very happy to share my experience.”
'Mental health is one of the most important parts of the cancer journey. The additional support from teams like psychological support is so vital.'
57 year old Jon has been treated at The Royal Marsden following a diagnosis in 2022 of stage 3 laryngeal cancer (a type of throat cancer) and cancer of the vocal chords. After a total laryngectomy surgery, he has had to learn how to talk and eat again and has hugely benefitted from the psychological support team at The Royal Marsden, as part of his post-surgery rehab.
Funding early diagnosis research
When a patient’s cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there is a much greater chance of being able to treat the disease successfully. At The Royal Marsden we are continually working to improve early diagnosis for patients.
The funds raised for early diagnosis research through the campaign will contribute to a range of roles working across this area of research at The Royal Marsden.
