Pancreatic Cancer UK

What Pancreatic Cancer UK does

Pancreatic Cancer UK is a UK-registered charity (England & Wales no. 1112708, Scotland SC046392), structured as a company limited by guarantee, that is the only national charity dedicated exclusively to pancreatic cancer. The organization operates three integrated pillars: specialist patient support, research funding, and policy campaigning. Its core service portfolio includes a free Specialist Nurse Support Line delivered via phone, email, and WhatsApp; the Circles peer support community on WhatsApp and Facebook (with 1,000+ members) which replaced a legacy discussion forum in January 2026; online information resources reaching 958,000 people in 2024/25; live webinars and support sessions via Zoom; a Clinical Trial Finder; the Family History Checker tool feeding into the EUROPAC study; and the Big Picture survey platform collecting patient experience data.

In 2024/25 the charity invested £2.6M in research grants and £1.3M in research support across multiple UK universities including the University of Glasgow and Cardiff University, through its Early Diagnosis Research Alliance and KRAS-focused research programmes. The organization runs the Demand Survival Now national petition campaign (2026), participates in the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce coalition with five other charities, and was Charity of the Year for the TCS London Marathon 2025.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and ancillary fundraising rather than commercial pricing: individual donations, legacy giving, peer-to-peer fundraising through JustGiving/Virgin Money Giving/Facebook Fundraisers, organized challenges (Walk 60 Miles in June, 100 Miles in November, Ultra Challenges), corporate partnerships (notably Scotmid Co-operative for Scotland), philanthropy and major gifts, Gift Aid reclamation, a weekly lottery, tribute funds (Together in Memory), and merchandise through an online shop. All beneficiary services are provided free of charge. The organization operates from London headquarters (Westminster Tower) with an additional office at Queen Elizabeth House, employs 101-250 staff, and maintains active social channels on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Name

Pancreatic Cancer UK

Legal name

Pancreatic Cancer UK

Website

https://pancreaticcancer.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pancreatic Cancer UK is the only UK-wide charity dedicated exclusively to pancreatic cancer, providing specialist nurse support, peer communities (Circles), comprehensive online information, and research funding (£3.9M in 2024/25), with revenue from donations, fundraising events, lottery, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Charity Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Medical research funding
• Health charity services
• Patient information resources
• Peer support communities

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off and regular donations from individual supporters, received via online donation pages, telephone, and post. Includes general donations and memorial donations.
2. Legacy Giving: Gifts left in supporters' Wills, a significant long-term revenue stream for the charity.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from organized events including TCS London Marathon participation, Walk 60 Miles in June, 100 Miles in November, Ultra Challenges, Purple Ladies Tea Party, and community fundraising activities.
4. Weekly Lottery: Weekly lottery game generating funds while offering participants the chance to win prizes.
5. Tribute Funds: Online tribute pages (Together in Memory) where family and friends can donate in memory of loved ones, with shared photos and stories.
6. Online Shop: Sale of merchandise including Christmas cards and fundraising materials.
7. Philanthropy and Major Gifts: Larger donations from major supporters and philanthropists, researched and cultivated through the Philanthropy and Partnerships team.
8. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies such as Scotmid Co-operative for research funding in Scotland.
9. Gift Aid: Charity claims tax relief on eligible donations from UK taxpayers under the Gift Aid scheme.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Pancreatic Cancer UK provides free support, information, and research funding for people affected by pancreatic cancer in the UK. Its core offerings are a Specialist Nurse Support Line (phone, email, WhatsApp), an extensive online information library, peer support communities (Circles on WhatsApp and Facebook), online support sessions and webinars, a Clinical Trial Finder, and research grants for early detection and treatment breakthroughs. It also runs the Demand Survival Now campaigning programme and fundraising products including a weekly lottery, online shop, and tribute funds.

Product overview

Pancreatic Cancer UK is a charitable organisation offering a multi-channel support and information ecosystem for people affected by pancreatic cancer. Its core portfolio comprises specialist nurse support via phone, WhatsApp, and email; a comprehensive online information library; peer support communities (Circles via WhatsApp and Facebook, with a legacy read-only forum); and online support sessions and webinars via Zoom. The organisation also provides research funding (£2.6M in grants in 2024/25), a clinical trial finder tool, and fundraising products including an online shop, weekly lottery, and tribute funds. Add-on information services include tailored email newsletters and a Family History Checker for inherited risk assessment. A major campaigning programme, Demand Survival Now, drives policy advocacy. The offering is unified around three pillars: expert support, research breakthroughs, and campaigning for change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Circles: Online community spaces via WhatsApp and Facebook groups for people affected by pancreatic cancer to connect and share experiences
• Together in Memory
• Demand Survival Now

Products and services

• Specialist Nurse Support Line Free confidential support line staffed by pancreatic cancer specialist nurses, available by phone (0808 801 0707), email ([email protected]), and WhatsApp (07418 304789). Provides emotional support, clinical guidance, and practical advice to people affected by pancreatic cancer.
• Online Information and Support Resources Web-based library of comprehensive information covering pancreatic cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, IRE), managing symptoms and side effects, diet, end-of-life care, family history, and clinical trials. Accessed by over 958,000 people in 2024/25.
• Research Funding Programme Pancreatic Cancer UK's programme of research grants funding world-leading research into early detection, treatments, and the genetic basis of pancreatic cancer. £2.6M invested in research grants and £1.3M in research support in 2024/25, with funding awarded to institutions including University of Glasgow and Cardiff University.
• Clinical Trial Finder Online tool enabling patients and caregivers to search for pancreatic cancer clinical trials, including trials for KRAS inhibitors and new treatments available in the UK.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform selling merchandise and publications including printed information booklets, Christmas cards, and fundraising materials, raising funds for the charity.
• Weekly Lottery Weekly raffle and lottery product that supporters can enter to win prizes while raising funds for pancreatic cancer research and support services.
• Circles Peer Support Communities Online peer support community groups delivered via WhatsApp and Facebook covering topics such as living with pancreatic cancer, family and carers, moments of joy, cookery and recipe sharing, the 3am Club, and surgery groups. More than 1,000 people signed up at launch.
• Online Support Sessions and Webinars Live video sessions for people affected by pancreatic cancer delivered via Zoom, providing support, information, and the opportunity to meet others in similar situations. Users register in advance via Zoom webinar registration forms.
• Tailored Information and Support Emails Email subscription service that collects information about a user's diagnosis and sends personalised information about their cancer and available support. Consent is obtained for processing health data.
• The Big Picture Survey Platform Online survey platform collecting data on the experiences of diagnosis, treatment and care from people affected by pancreatic cancer. Data is used to campaign for change and support researchers, with personal data erased and responses anonymised after six months.
• Tribute Funds (Together in Memory) Online tribute space where supporters can create a memorial page for a loved one, share photos and memories, and collect donations in their memory for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.6M invested in research grants and £1.3M in research support in 2024/25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Scotmid Co-operativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2020Partnership to invest in pancreatic cancer research in Scotland, supporting early diagnosis research projects.
• Nicki's Smile (Dan Blake)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Longstanding fundraising partnership established in memory of Nicki Blake, funding early diagnosis research including the Pancreatic Cancer UK Early Diagnosis Research Alliance to develop a simple test for early detection.
• Less Survivable Cancers TaskforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Action Against Heartburn, British Liver Trust, The Brain Tumour Charity, Core, and Roy Castle Lung Foundation to close the survival gap between cancers. Taskforce has 5 core objectives: raise awareness of symptoms, speed up paths to treatment, remove barriers to treatment trials, set government-backed survival targets, and increase research investments.
• Purple Lights Campaign PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual campaign on World Pancreatic Cancer Day run in collaboration with Guts UK, Pancreatic Cancer Action, and Planets Cancer Charity.
• EUROPAC StudycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy for inherited risk of pancreatic cancer. The Family History Checker refers individuals who may have inherited risk to the EUROPAC study for full family history and risk assessment.
• JustGivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party online fundraising platform used by supporters to create personal fundraising pages for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
• Virgin Money GivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party online fundraising platform used by supporters to create personal fundraising pages for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
• Facebook FundraiserscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntegration with Facebook's fundraising tools allowing supporters to create fundraisers directly on the platform.
• Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organization providing guidelines for peer review processes. Pancreatic Cancer UK follows AMRC guidelines for research peer reviews and funding.
• Maggie's CentresminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Maggie’s Centres for cancer support, hosting pancreatic cancer support groups at their facilities in Edinburgh and Manchester.
• TCS London MarathonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPancreatic Cancer UK was Charity of the Year for TCS London Marathon 2025, providing significant fundraising and awareness opportunity.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• British Liver Trust: UK liver disease charity and Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce partner. Comparable in information provision, support services, and research funding mission, with adjacent disease focus and overlapping policy advocacy priorities.
• Guts UK: UK charity focused on digestive system diseases including pancreatic conditions. Comparable in research funding and information provision, with overlapping beneficiary base for pancreatic disorders, but broader disease scope. Co-partner in the Purple Lights Campaign.
• The Brain Tumour Charity: UK disease-specific cancer charity and fellow Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce member. Comparable in disease-specific focus, research funding model, and policy advocacy approach, though focused on a different (also poor-survival) cancer type.
• Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: UK lung cancer charity and Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce member. Similar in narrow disease focus, fundraising model, and policy advocacy role, providing a comparable blueprint for running a high-mortality cancer charity in the UK.
• Planets Cancer Charity: UK charity focused on pancreatic, liver, neuroendocrine, and other gastrointestinal cancers. Co-partner in the Purple Lights Campaign with Pancreatic Cancer UK, with overlapping beneficiary base and pancreatic cancer research funding focus.
• Core (Digestive Disorders Foundation): UK charity funding research into all digestive diseases including pancreatic cancer. Member of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce alongside Pancreatic Cancer UK, with overlapping research funding and policy advocacy missions.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity providing practical, emotional, and financial support to people with all cancer types. Overlaps with Pancreatic Cancer UK in the nurse support line, information services, and peer support concepts, but at much larger scale and across the full cancer spectrum.
• Cancer Research UK: The largest cancer research charity in the UK, funding research across all cancer types including pancreatic cancer. Competes for donor mindshare and corporate partnerships, and overlaps in research funding activity, but operates at vastly greater scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Pancreatic Cancer Action: Another UK-focused charity dedicated specifically to pancreatic cancer, funding research and raising awareness. Directly comparable in mission, beneficiary base, and disease focus, with overlapping fundraising models (events, donations, legacies).
• Maggie's Centres: UK charity providing cancer support through centres across the country, including hosting pancreatic cancer support groups in Edinburgh and Manchester in partnership with Pancreatic Cancer UK. Directly comparable in emotional and practical cancer support delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PancreaticCanUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PancreaticCancerUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/PancreaticCancerUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pancreatic-cancer-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/pancreaticcanuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@pancreaticcanceruk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pancreatic Cancer UK