THERE'S one thing that strikes you about all the patients who come to Bournemouth's Youth Cancer Trust for a holiday.

It's their incredible maturity, the ability to put things into perspective and the ease with which they can chat about their life-changing experiences.

Jack Girling, aged 14, suffered from the blood cancer, lymphoma.

Two years of treatment finished six months ago. He won't know for five years whether or not he is clear.

"I found the mental side of things more difficult to deal than the physical," he said. "The steroids I was on gave me bad mood swings and I got angry."

"When I was going through it, all I wanted was to become a kid again and do the normal things a kid would do. Now I feel I am just beginning to do that once more.

"Going through something like this changes you. It certainly makes you appreciate life and understand things more."

Hannah Johns also believes she has changed.

"I have become a lot more confident with life and I work a lot harder. I think that's partly to do with the fact that you quickly move into an adult world and you have to learn how to cope with that grown-up environment."

Hannah, 16, was diagnosed with a bone tumour in her hip and has had chemotherapy and radiotherapy. There's a 98 per cent success rate in dealing with this particular cancer.

Despite not being at school since last October, Hannah sat eight GCSEs in June and is awaiting the results. She'll start A Levels in September.

For both, last week was their first visit to the Alum Chine based YCT, which provides free holidays for teenagers and young adults with cancer, aged between 14 and 30 from anywhere in the UK and Ireland.

Each patient can bring a sibling or friend with them, though a group may be made up entirely of cancer patients who have met each other while in treatment.

"It's an amazing place. It is nice to meet other people who have been through what you have. You really feel you fit in and they understand," said Jack.

Activities this week included horse riding and a picnic in the New Forest, go-karting, bowling, watersports and the new Batman movie.

Their fellow patients were not exactly newcomers to the YCT family.

Sam Phillips has been here 12 times and it's a home from home with YCT founder Brenda Clark and her brother-in-law Jim Keating like "a second set of parents".

Sam, 22, who works at a fitness centre, has been in remission from testicular cancer for more than five years.

He still comes to the YCT because he has other health issues and is still living with the effects of cancer - and because he's almost part of the furniture!

Meanwhile, for Amanda Pierce, 17, it's her fifth year.

Amanda has a tumour on her spine. It has spread and pain relief is her only option.

On a previous visit to YCT she reflected calmly: "Everyone dies. It's just timing for me."

This time she was simply full of a surprise trip, organised by Brenda, to European Aviation at Bournemouth Airport, to try out a Boeing 747 simulator with her sister Hannah, "It's was something I had always wanted to do," she said. "Absolutely amazing."

Which might be a fitting description for the attitude of those who come to the YCT too.