Hope Against Cancer

What Hope Against Cancer does

Hope Against Cancer (legally The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research) is a UK-registered charity founded in 2003 that funds cancer research and clinical trial delivery for the benefit of patients in Leicestershire and Rutland, with research outputs that reach national and international audiences. Its core operational asset is the Hope Cancer Trials Centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary, which was doubled in size in 2021 following a £1.3 million capital campaign and currently hosts 152 ongoing and planned clinical trials; two drugs studied there (Sacituzumab Govitecan and Glofitamab) have entered standard NHS care. The charity operates on a Discover-Deliver-Share model in partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, funding PhD studentships, early-phase trials, and translational research. The technology stack underpinning the charity itself is conventional (ecwid-powered online store, Unity Lottery lottery management platform, standard donation processing); there is no proprietary technology product.

The organisation receives no government funding and is supported entirely by a community-led revenue mix that includes individual donations (one-time and recurring, eligible for Gift Aid), the Hope £1 Lottery run in partnership with Unity Lottery (minimum 50% of proceeds to Hope), a tiered Hope Business Club corporate membership programme (Gold/Silver/Bronze from £200 annually, supported by the Ian & Clare Mattioli Charitable Trust and Mattioli Woods), a prize-led JispWin fundraising partnership, merchandise sales, and challenge events delivered via Run for Charity and realbuzz platforms. Its go-to-market is community-led: volunteer ambassadors, corporate Charity-of-the-Year partnerships, and individual fundraisers. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees with Rick Moore serving as President following a ten-year tenure as Chair that ended April 2025; leadership transitioned in January–April 2026 with CEO Nigel Rose departing after 12 years and Paul Desborough appointed as the new Chief Executive in April 2026.

Name

Hope Against Cancer

Legal name

The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research

Website

https://hopeagainstcancer.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hope Against Cancer is a Leicestershire and Rutland-registered charity, founded in 2003, that funds cancer research and clinical trial delivery through the Hope Cancer Trials Centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary and supports individual donors, businesses, and volunteer fundraisers across the East Midlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Charity Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Cancer research charity
• Clinical trials funding
• Community fundraising
• Corporate charity partnerships
• Medical research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting local cancer research. Donations can be one-time or regular contributions.
2. Hope Lottery: Weekly lottery draw operated in partnership with Unity Lottery. Players pay £1 per entry for a chance to win up to £25,000. A minimum of 50% of proceeds support Hope's work.
3. Business Club Membership: Corporate membership programme with Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers starting from £200 annually. Members receive event access, CSR programme support, and promotional collaboration.
4. Online Store: Sale of merchandise including greeting cards, books, and branded items like the Hopey McResearch Bear mascot.
5. JispWin Partnership: Prize-led fundraising partnership where ticket sales generate revenue. Hope receives up to 50% of revenues with a guaranteed minimum of 35%.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Hope Against Cancer funds local cancer research discovery projects, delivers clinical trials at the Hope Cancer Trials Centre within Leicester Royal Infirmary, and shares research findings nationally and internationally. It operates as Leicestershire and Rutland's dedicated cancer research charity, sustaining activities through community donations, lottery proceeds, a tiered corporate Business Club, challenge events, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Hope Against Cancer is Leicestershire and Rutland's local cancer research charity, founded in 2003. The organization does not offer a traditional SaaS product but operates several interconnected fundraising and research delivery services. The core offering is the Hope Cancer Trials Centre at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, which provides clinical trials access to local cancer patients. Supporting services include the Hope £1 Lottery (in partnership with Unity Lottery), an Online Store powered by ecwid for merchandise, the JispWin prize-led fundraising platform, Business Club membership tiers for corporate supporters, Community Fundraising support with resources and volunteer coordination, Challenge Events (running, skydiving, cycling), and Regular Donation programs with Gift Aid. The organization works on a Discover-Deliver-Share model supporting local cancer research, clinical trials delivery, and knowledge sharing through PhD students and international research collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hope Cancer Trials Centre: A state-of-the-art clinical trials facility at the Leicester Royal Infirmary providing cutting-edge cancer treatments to local patients.
• Hope Business Club
• Hope £1 Lottery

Products and services

• Hope Cancer Trials Centre A state-of-the-art clinical trials facility at the Leicester Royal Infirmary providing cutting-edge cancer treatments and clinical trials to local cancer patients in Leicestershire and Rutland, in partnership with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Currently has 152 ongoing and planned trials.
• Hope £1 Lottery

Quantifiable outcome

• 152 ongoing and planned clinical trials at Hope Cancer Trials Centre
• +3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JispWincoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 February 2026Innovative prize-led fundraising partnership with JispWin, an online prize draw platform. Hope Against Cancer receives up to 50% of all revenues generated through ticket sales, with a guaranteed minimum return of 35%. The partnership aims to broaden the supporter base and increase engagement during challenging economic times.
• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Trust partnership for operating the Hope Cancer Trials Centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Hope funding supports clinical trials and research conducted by the Trust's oncology staff.
• Universities in LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local universities (University of Leicester and De Montfort University) for conducting cancer research. Funding and support requests are funnelled through this partnership and assessed by the Research Advisory Panel.
• Unity LotterycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLottery platform provider managing the Hope £1 Lottery draw. Unity operates as the external lottery manager, with a minimum of 50% of lottery proceeds going to support Hope's work.
• Run for CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Run for Charity platform providing access to challenge events across the country including bungee jumps, obstacle courses, marathons, and hiking challenges.
• realbuzzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with realbuzz for charity fundraising spaces at international marathons and events including Chicago, Athens, Valencia, and other exotic locations.
• NachuralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness networking organisation that donated article space in The Business Influencer Magazine to feature Hope Against Cancer's work.
• Corporate Charity of the Year PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple businesses have chosen Hope Against Cancer as their Charity of the Year, including Take Me Taxis, Unwantees, Unique Windows, Hamilton's Honour, Anthony James Golf Society, and Smith Partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blood Cancer UK: UK charity funding blood cancer research and clinical trials. Operates a similar model of funding research in university and NHS settings, with comparable community fundraising and donor engagement approaches.
• Bowel Cancer UK: UK charity focused on funding bowel cancer research and awareness. Shares the disease-specific charity research funding model with Hope Against Cancer, including partnerships with NHS Trusts and academic institutions.
• Prostate Cancer UK: UK charity funding prostate cancer research and supporting patients. Similar disease-specific funding model with community fundraising, research grants, and clinical trial support.
• Pancreatic Cancer UK: UK disease-specific cancer charity funding research and clinical trials. Like Hope Against Cancer, it concentrates on a specific cancer area and channels community donations toward research and trials delivery.
• Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: UK disease-specific cancer charity funding lung cancer research and supporting patients. Comparable in terms of research funding model, community fundraising, and supporter engagement.
• Yorkshire Cancer Research: Regionally-focused UK cancer charity funding research and services in Yorkshire. Almost identical model to Hope Against Cancer, including community-led fundraising, regional NHS partnerships, and university research collaborations.
• Stand Up To Cancer UK: UK cancer research fundraising campaign. Both Hope and Stand Up To Cancer rely heavily on community-led fundraising and challenge events to fund translational cancer research.

Others

• The Institute of Cancer Research: UK research institution and charity conducting cancer research. Both organizations fund and conduct cancer research in partnership with NHS Trust and universities, though ICR operates at national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Research UK: Largest cancer research charity in the UK, funding research and clinical trials nationwide. Hope Against Cancer operates a similar model (funding cancer research and clinical trials) but at a regional scale rather than national, making it a direct comparability reference.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity providing support and funding research. Both organizations operate on a community-led fundraising model supporting cancer patients and research. Hope represents a smaller, regional counterpart to Macmillan's national footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=GvcgjdlitLw
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifanyonecanalicecan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hope-against-cancer

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 Hope Against Cancer