Cancer Research Wales

What Cancer Research Wales does

Cancer Research Wales is the only independent Welsh cancer research charity, founded in 1966 by Dr Ken Davies as the South Wales Cancer Research Council and headquartered in Cardiff. Its mission is to fund world-class cancer research conducted within Wales, with the explicit commitment that 100% of funds raised are spent in Wales — a positioning that distinguishes it from larger UK-wide competitors such as Cancer Research UK and addresses the historical underfunding of Welsh cancer research relative to Cambridge, Oxford, and London. The charity funds PhDs, post-doctoral fellowships, project grants, and clinical trials across four research themes: discovery/translational research, early diagnosis/prevention/screening, better treatments, and health systems/outcomes. Notable programs include the Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI), the PEARL radiotherapy clinical trial, the Raman Blood Test (machine-learning-enabled bowel cancer diagnostic), and the Phase 3 ThinkCancer! primary care intervention run jointly with North West Cancer Research.

The organization delivers research through a deeply embedded Welsh ecosystem: the Velindre Cancer Centre (since 1994 Clinical Trials Unit), all seven NHS Wales health boards, the Wales Cancer Bank (funded since 2003), and core university partners at Swansea, Cardiff, and Bangor. Operational infrastructure comprises a 42-person head office at 22 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Cardiff (relocated 2023) and a growing retail network of charity shops spanning Cardiff, Whitchurch, Talbot Green, Llandudno, Wrexham, Bangor, Caernarfon, and Chepstow — with the North Wales and Gwent stores opened in 2024–2025.

Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of channels: individual donations (one-off and monthly, £3–£50 suggested tiers with Gift Aid uplift), mass-participation events (Cardiff Half Marathon, Sahara treks, raffles), corporate partnerships, legacy gifts in wills, retail shop sales of pre-loved goods, and volunteer time donations. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees (Chair: Gavin Moore, appointed March 2024), with Adam Fletcher serving as CEO from July 2024. Governance credentials include registration as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Number 1167290), Fundraising Regulator membership, AMRC membership, and Investing in Volunteers Wales and Cynnig Cymraeg Welsh-language certifications.

Name

Cancer Research Wales

Legal name

Cancer Research Wales

Website

https://cancerresearch.wales

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cancer Research Wales is the only independent Welsh cancer research charity, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Cardiff, funding world-class cancer research conducted within Wales. It serves Welsh cancer patients, the Welsh donor public, and Welsh researchers through grants, clinical trials, retail shops, and partnerships with NHS Wales and Welsh universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Charity

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Cancer research funding
• Charitable research grants
• Fundraising events
• Charity retail shops
• Clinical trial sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: Individual donations from the Welsh public, including one-off and monthly contributions. Donation amounts suggested at £3, £5, £8, £10, £25, £50 or custom amounts. Gift Aid adds 25% at no extra cost to donors.
2. Retail Shops: Charity retail stores selling pre-loved clothing, household items and bric-a-brac. Multiple stores opened across Wales including first shops in North Wales and Gwent.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from mass-participation events including marathons, treks, raffles (60th Anniversary Diamond Raffle at £2 per ticket), and community fundraising activities.
4. Corporate Fundraising: Partnerships with businesses for corporate fundraising programs where organisations play a vital role in funding world-class cancer research.
5. Legacy Giving (Gifts in Wills): Gifts in Wills to help create a better future for all people with all cancers across Wales.
6. Volunteering: Time donations from volunteers supporting retail stores, events, and administrative functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cancer Research Wales is the only independent Welsh cancer research charity, funding world-class cancer research exclusively in Wales. It raises funds through public donations, charity retail shops, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and legacy giving, and channels them into research grants (PhDs, fellowships, project grants), clinical trials (such as the PEARL radiotherapy trial), diagnostic research (Raman blood test for bowel cancer), and dedicated research initiatives such as the Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI) and the ThinkCancer! primary care intervention.

Product overview

Cancer Research Wales funds world-class cancer research in Wales through multiple initiatives and programs. The core offering consists of research funding programs including the Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI), clinical trials (PEARL), and diagnostic innovations (Raman Blood Test, ThinkCancer! training intervention). Supporting operations include retail shops selling pre-loved goods to raise funds. The charity operates as an independent Welsh cancer research organization that directs all funding to cancer research conducted within Wales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI): Wales's first ever Brain Tumour Research Initiative bringing hope to brain tumour patients through pioneering research
• ThinkCancer!
• Tom Walker Scholarship

Products and services

• Research Grants Programme Funding programme awarding PhD studentships, postdoctoral fellowships, and project grants to cancer researchers and clinicians working in Wales across four research themes: discovery/translational research, early diagnosis/prevention/screening, better treatments, and health systems and outcomes.
• Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI) Wales's first dedicated brain tumour research programme bringing together scientists, clinicians, and neurosurgeons to develop new treatments and improve outcomes for brain tumour patients, with up to £1 million pledged annually.
• PEARL Clinical Trial Phase 3 clinical trial led by Professor Mererid Evans at Velindre Cancer Centre investigating use of a second PET-CT scan midway through radiotherapy to update treatment plans for oropharyngeal cancer patients, reducing long-term side effects.
• Raman Blood Test Research Funded research programme at Swansea University developing a blood test using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning to detect bowel cancer from molecular fingerprints in blood samples, with trials in over 2,000 patients showing 100% detection of late-stage and 80% of early-stage cancers.
• ThinkCancer! Training Intervention Training and awareness intervention for GP practices including workshops, safety netting procedures, and NICE NG12 guidelines training to improve early cancer detection in primary care across Wales and North West England.
• Charity Retail Shops Network of charity retail shops across Wales selling pre-loved clothing, household items, and bric-a-brac to raise funds for cancer research, with locations in Cardiff, Whitchurch, Talbot Green, Llandudno, Wrexham, Bangor, Caernarfon, and Chepstow.
• Public Donation Programme Programme accepting one-off and monthly donations from individuals at suggested amounts of £3, £5, £8, £10, £25, £50 or custom amounts, with Gift Aid adding 25% at no extra cost to UK taxpayers.
• 60th Anniversary Diamond Raffle Fundraising raffle tied to the charity's 60th anniversary offering a diamond necklace, event tickets, or cash prizes, with tickets priced at £2 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £41.86 million invested in Welsh cancer research since 1966
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North West Cancer ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration with North West Cancer Research to fund the Phase 3 ThinkCancer! clinical trial across Wales and North West England, seeking to transform primary care practices into centres of excellence for diagnosing cancer.
• Velindre Cancer CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Velindre Cancer Centre where Cancer Research Wales laboratories were opened (first of their kind in Wales in 2000), Clinical Trials Unit was funded (1994), and PEARL clinical trial is led by Professor Mererid Evans.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partnership with Swansea University, particularly with Professor Dean Harris and Professor Peter Dunstan's group working on Raman blood test for bowel cancer detection.
• Bangor UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bangor University's North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research. Professor Clare Wilkinson leads the WICKED study and ThinkCancer! intervention research.
• Cardiff UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew CEO Adam Fletcher previously worked as public health researcher, lecturer and research centre manager at Cardiff University. Ongoing research partnerships for prostate cancer diagnostics.
• Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cardiff School of Art and Design on Reimagined Fashion competition ('Stripe A Pose' theme). Student Lou Wild won competition and became Sustainable Fashion Ambassador.
• Outrageous SignsminorOthersLocal business in Pontypool that designed and applied the branded wrap for Cancer Research Wales's Peugeot van.
• Newport TransportminorOthersStored Cancer Research Wales's van while work was completed, and provided engine servicing and rebuilding. Operates as Newport Bus.
• Muslim Doctors CymruminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Muslim Doctors Cymru on research investigating acceptability of Raman Blood Test among ethnic minority communities in South Wales.
• Public Health WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Public Health Wales on HPV vaccination campaigns. Public Health Wales launches campaigns to encourage HPV vaccination uptake in schoolchildren.
• NHS Wales Health BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with all 7 NHS Wales health boards for research delivery, clinical trials, and healthcare innovation. Wales Cancer Bank and Single Cancer Pathway involve multiple health boards.
• Wales Cancer BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCancer Research Wales is a funder (since 2003) and provider of infrastructural support for the Wales Cancer Bank - the first of its type in Europe.
• Wales Cancer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member (2006) of the Wales Cancer Alliance, a coalition working to improve cancer services and outcomes in Wales.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Young Lives vs Cancer: UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer — broader incumbent in the cancer-charity space that draws on overlapping legacy and individual-giving donor segments.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK's largest cancer support charity — broad incumbent with retail, fundraising, and direct-customer overlap, competing for the same Welsh donor and volunteer base.
• Marie Curie: UK charity caring for people with terminal illness including cancer — competes for legacy giving, donations, and charity-shop volunteer pools across the UK.
• Cancer Research UK: UK's largest cancer research charity with vastly greater scale — competes for donor mindshare and major gifts, while operating in overlapping research areas that CRW funds locally.

Direct peers

• Cancer Focus Northern Ireland: Regional UK cancer charity funding research, support, and retail across Northern Ireland — analogous regional model to CRW's Welsh-only scope.
• North West Cancer Research: Regional UK cancer research charity funding research in North West England; explicitly named as CRW's partner on the Phase 3 ThinkCancer! trial — directly comparable size, mission, and operating model.
• Worldwide Cancer Research: UK-headquartered cancer research charity funding discovery research — comparable research-grantmaking mission and donor-funding model.
• Tenovus Cancer Care: Welsh cancer charity providing research funding, support and retail operations across Wales — direct peer competing for the same Welsh donor base and corporate partnerships.

Emerging players

• Bowel Cancer UK: UK bowel-cancer-specific charity — direct thematic overlap with CRW's Raman blood test and Colospect all-Wales bowel cancer study investments.
• Brain Tumour Research: UK brain-tumour-specific research charity — overlapping focus with CRW's newly launched BATRI initiative; competing for dedicated brain-tumour donor funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cancer-research-wales

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cancer Research Wales