Donations to Northampton cancer charity made easier thanks to Dragons’ Den-backed app

Being able to donate to a Northampton cancer charity has been made easier thanks to their inclusion on an app that found success on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den.

Users of the charity app, Toucan, can now easily set up monthly payments directly to BacZac His Legacy to support young adults with cancer and their families.

The free to download app recently featured on Dragons’ Den, just nine days after its official launch, where Toucan’s CEO, Matt Crate and head of product, Melody Truong, presented their pitch to the ‘Dragons’.

All five Dragons made a ‘five-way’ investment offer; however, the final deal was made with just one Dragon, Steven Bartlett.

BacZac His Legacy was created in memory of 20-year-old Zac Forskitt, of Abington Vale, who lost his battle with cancer in 2016 after being diagnosed with a rare form of testicular cancer and Acutemegakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMKL), a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

App users can discover details about the charity, the help it provides and where donations go.

Jason Forskitt, Zac’s dad, said: “Featuring on Toucan is great for BacZac. It is a fantastic way to increase our visibility and easily reach existing and possible new donors.

“It means a lot to us that we can carry on Zac’s legacy by sharing our cause on the app and through the donations of everyone who supports us.”

Toucan allows users to set up monthly donations to a maximum of three charities of their choice, ranging from £3 per charity to £50 per charity or a custom amount set by the user, plus Gift Aid.

Discussing making and designing the app, Toucan’s CEO, Matt Crate, said: “To create an app that helps charities and provides people with a way to give that matches up with the way we live now.

“Everything we do is centred around our belief that giving should be fun, flexible, and accessible for all. This is how we’ll build a world where giving is second nature.”

To donate to BacZac via the simple to use Toucan, users need to search for and add BacZac to their ‘portfolio’ as the, or one of their, chosen charities to donate to each month.

Money donated to BacZac goes towards providing small grants of up to £250 for the families of young adults with cancer for days out when possible, or to help with financial burdens. Funds also go towards high street vouchers to young adults with cancer as a “pick-me-up” and free meal vouchers to young adults receiving cancer treatment in hospital.

Additionally, BacZac are aiming to purchase a coastal respite holiday home for young adults with cancer and their families to use, possibly for one last trip away as a family or to aid a bereaved family.

For more information about BacZac His Legacy, visit: https://www.baczachislegacy.org/

For more information about Toucan, visit: https://thetoucan.app/