Interwoven Episode 9: From Grief to Purpose: Toby Freeman’s Journey to Founding the Robin Cancer Trust

Toby Freeman was managing two bars in Colchester when an unthinkable event forced him to reconsider everything he knew about his future. The sudden loss of his 24-year-old brother, Robin, to a rare form of testicular cancer left Toby, at just 22, reeling and deeply frustrated by the lack of awareness and support available for young people facing germ cell cancers.

Rather than move on, Toby and his family gathered at a local bar (now gone) for a conversation, planting the first seeds that would become the Robin Cancer Trust. The transition was neither instant nor easy: Toby describes the work as a cathartic response to grief, providing direction in the aftermath of tragedy, but also requiring him to shed an old identity and develop new skills. The journey demanded experiments in awareness-raising campaigning, sometimes using “ridiculous PR stunts”, and hard-won lessons about fundraising, governance, and building a distinct, relatable voice to reach young people.

The process posed many risks, including the difficult decision to draw a salary as the organisation grew and the existential threat posed by events such as the pandemic. Facing these challenges, Toby leaned on trustees, colleagues and his own developing self-awareness to keep the mission fresh and the charity relevant. Over more than a decade, his sense of purpose has evolved from personal tribute to community impact, with the ambition not to grow the organisation for its own sake, but to “work ourselves out of a job.”

Listeners will recognise themes of reinvention, how a personal crisis can force us to become beginners again, how purpose and uncertainty coexist, and why building any lasting organisation depends less on grand plans than on honest reflection, new relationships, and an openness to change.