Cancer Research expects 25% drop in fundraising income

Cancer Research UK expects to see its fundraising income drop by up to 25% in the next financial year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak has already affected many of Cancer Research UK’s key fundraising activities, which all raise money for life-saving research.

It is reviewing the feasibility of its event series for 2020, including Race for Life, and has temporarily closed its network of 600 high street shops across the UK.

Cancer Research UK is working hard to limit the impact of coronavirus, to ensure that people affected by cancer get the support and information they need during these unprecedented times.

The charity warns the potential impact on its work to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer ‘could be huge’.

Not only is the virus already affecting cancer care and treatment decisions, but the charity has already had to make difficult decisions to cut some of its research funding that will directly impact on its goal to see three in four people survive their cancer by 2034.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: ‘There can be no doubt that this global pandemic is going to cause huge strain on charities in the coming months.

‘People affected by cancer will be facing difficult situations because they are particularly vulnerable, or because their treatment is being affected by the knock-on impact in the health service, and our priority is making sure we can support them during these unprecedented times.

‘While many things are still uncertain, it is clear that Cancer Research UK will be hit hard.  We’ve worked quickly to understand how COVID-19 will impact our income, and therefore our ability to continue funding our life-saving work.

‘We remain tirelessly committed to making progress for people affected by cancer, but now more than ever, support from both the Government and the public will be vital.  We simply will not be able to continue funding our life-saving work without it.’