A UK charity · working closely with The Christie
Everyone deserves the chance to live fully — even when time is short.
Living Not Existing creates meaningful, joyful, unforgettable moments for people facing a terminal diagnosis, and for the families beside them. No cost. No paperwork. No pressure.
Why we exist
A diagnosis takes your time. It shouldn’t take everything else with it.
When someone is told their illness is terminal, the days that follow fill up with things that have nothing to do with living. Appointments. Forms. Money worries. Work that cannot simply stop. The sheer mental weight of holding a family together while carrying the heaviest news of your life.
What gets squeezed out is the part that matters most — the time to be together, to do something extraordinary, to make a memory the people you love will keep long after you are gone.
That is the space Living Not Existing exists to protect. We take on the cost, the planning and the pressure, so that a family can spend what time they have doing something they will never forget.
We remove the cost
Every experience is funded in full — tickets, travel, accommodation, the meal, the lot. Nobody is asked to contribute, and nobody has to explain their finances to receive help.
We handle the arrangements
Dates worked around treatment. Accessibility sorted before you arrive. Someone at the other end of the phone if anything changes — because with this illness, things change.
We carry the mental load
You don’t plan it, chase it or organise it. You tell us what would mean something, and the next thing you do is turn up and enjoy it.
Our story
It began with Sarah.
When Sarah was diagnosed with terminal cancer, everything changed. Time suddenly felt fragile, and every day became something to hold onto.
Her family were fortunate. They had the stability and the flexibility to step back from everyday pressures and focus on what mattered most. But during their time at The Christie, they saw clearly that many people facing the same devastating diagnosis did not have that privilege.
Living Not Existing grew out of that realisation — and out of Sarah’s strength.
What we offer
Extraordinary moments, arranged with care and delivered without fuss.
We provide luxury experiences for people facing a terminal diagnosis. When life becomes fragile, moments matter — so we make those moments exceptional.
World-class sport
Premier League matches, rugby internationals, Formula 1 weekends and more.
Unforgettable music
Concerts, festivals, intimate performances and moments most people never get.
Michelin-star dining
Exceptional meals at some of the UK’s finest restaurants.
Five-star stays
Luxury breaks that give families space to breathe, reconnect and rest.
Living Not Existing became more than a personal mantra. It became a commitment to ease the pressures that stop people from living fully, when life matters most.
Chris Bamber · Founder & Chairman
How it works
Nobody has to apply, and nobody has to ask twice.
People come to us through the hospital, counselling and specialist teams who already know them and already understand their circumstances. There is no application to fill in and no waiting list to join.
A care team gets in touch
A clinician, counsellor or specialist nurse who already knows the person contacts us directly, with their consent.
We listen
We ask what would genuinely mean something — to them and to the people they love. Not what we think it should be.
We arrange everything
Tickets, travel, accessibility, timing around treatment. We work to the patient’s pace, and we build in room for plans to change.
They go and live it
The family turns up and enjoys it. Nothing to pay, nothing to organise, nothing to worry about on the day.
Get involved
Our story started with fear. It grew into purpose.
We are a young charity with a long way to go, and every experience we fund is made possible by someone who chose to help. If you can support us, partner with us, or point someone our way, we would like to hear from you.