The founder of Children with Cancer UK has died at the age of 90.

Eddie O’Gorman co-founded the charity with his wife Marion in 1988 after losing two of their children to cancer.

O’Gorman received an OBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List and the Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2018 in recognition of a life devoted to fighting childhood cancer.

Children with Cancer UK has raised over £300m and funded more than 200 research projects into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer. 

‘A force for good’

Amar Naher, interim chief executive at Children with Cancer UK, said: “Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies go to Eddie’s family during this very difficult time.”

Naher said O’Gorman was “a force for good, who made it his lifelong mission to help families affected by childhood cancer”.

“Since first founding Children with Cancer UK, Eddie’s dedication helped it to grow from a small memorial charity into the leading childhood cancer charity steadfast in its funding of childhood cancer research and an organisation that has helped thousands of families affected by cancer.

“Eddie had a tremendous impact upon us all at Children with Cancer UK, and I am sure many of our supporters too.”

The charity will now commission a local artist to create a hand-carved, stone sculpture at a new retreat project it is building in Yorkshire in memory of O’Gorman. 

“It’ll be a constant reminder of just what a difference one man and his family made to the lives of so many children with cancer,” Naher added.

Those wishing to post a photo of O’Gorman, leave a message for his family or donate can do so on his tribute page.