SIR - I am supporting Macmillan's Cancertalk Week, Monday to Friday, January 21-25, and I would like to invite your readers to do the same.

I know that cancer can sometimes be confusing and frightening, especially for young people.

But Macmillan can help, and by getting involved in the event children and young people can increase their awareness of the true facts about the illness and help to get rid of those myths.

There are lots of ways in which people can be involved, whether they are a parent, a teacher, a youth leader or a young person.

They can all encourage their local schools and youth groups to sign up to the event.

Cancertalk Week encourages children and young people to talk about cancer through special lessons or assemblies focusing on cancer.

At the end of the week there's also The Big Hush, a sponsored silence, which gives the children time to think about what they've learned during the week while raising funds for people living with cancer, and taking part in the schools' competition.

More than 1.2 million people in the UK today have had a cancer diagnosis, which means that most of us know someone affected.

Just talking about it can help children understand the illness and how they can help those living with cancer.

So there are no excuses to not sign up.

For more information about The Big Hush, or to order a Cancertalk teaching pack, telephone 0845 6011716 or log on to: www.macmillan.org.

uk/bighush Jacqueline Wilson, Author and Macmillan supporter