ARC Cancer Support Centres

What ARC Cancer Support Centres does

ARC Cancer Support Centres is an independent Irish registered charity (CHY 10857, Charity No. 20028428, Company No. 505230) founded in 1994 by Professor Des Carney, then a leading oncologist at Dublin's Mater Hospital, to address a gap in psychosocial support for cancer patients and their families. The organisation delivers a comprehensive portfolio of free-of-charge services — individual and group counselling, peer-facilitated support groups (breast, prostate, secondary, men's, women's, under-50s), complementary therapies (acupuncture, reflexology, manual lymph drainage), survivorship programmes, online wellbeing classes via Zoom, educational talks, and children's services including the CLIMB programme and play/art therapy for ages 4+.

Operations are anchored by three physical drop-in centres in Dublin, each co-located near a major cancer-treating public hospital: the original 1994 centre at 65 Eccles Street near the Mater Hospital, a second centre opened in November 2009 on the South Circular Road near St. James's Hospital, and a third centre opened in early 2020 near St. Vincent's Hospital and its Cancer Centre of Excellence. Clients additionally access services via a telephone support line (01 215 0250), remote counselling, and Zoom-delivered classes; referrals flow in from oncologists, nurses, breast care nurses, and self-referral.

ARC is funded entirely through donations and grants — there is no fee-for-service revenue. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and a €10/month 'Friend of ARC' recurring programme), corporate partnerships with matched-giving and skill donations, community fundraising events (fashion shows, Zumbathons, golf outings), legacy gifts in wills (via membership in My Legacy), and wedding favour donations. The technology stack supporting operations is non-proprietary: HubSpot CMS, Zoom, Donorbox, PayPal, and email marketing tools. The charity is governed by a voluntary Board (Robert O'Connor as Chair, plus seven further directors, including Dr Karen Cadoo) with day-to-day management delegated to CEO Deirdre Grant and a small executive team covering service operations, fundraising, communications, and therapeutic services. A documented data-sharing arrangement with the Irish Cancer Society coordinates referrals and consent handling.

Name

ARC Cancer Support Centres

Legal name

ARC Cancer Support Centres

Website

https://arccancersupport.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARC Cancer Support Centres is an independent Irish charity, founded in 1994, that provides free psychological, emotional, educational, and practical support services to people affected by cancer and their families through three Dublin centres and remote channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Psychosocial counselling
• Complementary therapy
• Peer support groups
• Survivorship programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals. Monthly giving programme offering 'Friend of ARC' at €10/month or €2.50/week. Tax reclaims available for donations of €250 or more through CHY3 certificate.
2. Fundraising Events: Organised fundraising events including fashion shows, auctions, Zumbathons, golf outings, and community events. Corporate fundraisers and individual event organizers generate revenue through event participation and sponsorship.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate charity partnerships, payroll giving programmes with matched funding, corporate fundraising events, and skill donations from corporate partners in marketing, PR, communications, graphic design and social media.
4. Legacy Gifts: Gifts in wills including residuary gifts (percentage of estate), pecuniary gifts (fixed sums), and specific gifts (jewellery, stocks, shares, property). Critical for long-term sustainability and planning.
5. Wedding Favours: Donations in lieu of wedding favours. Tent cards range from €150 for 100 cards to €250 for 200 cards, with tailored packages available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ARC Cancer Support Centres is a registered Irish charity that provides free psychological, emotional, practical and educational support services to people affected by cancer and their families. It delivers one-to-one counselling, peer-facilitated support groups, complementary therapies (acupuncture, reflexology, manual lymph drainage), survivorship programmes, online and in-person wellbeing classes, educational talks, and child and adolescent therapeutic services through three Dublin drop-in centres, a telephone support line, and remote Zoom-based programming. All services are provided at no cost to clients.

Product overview

ARC Cancer Support Centres operates as a charitable cancer support organization offering a portfolio of free services to people affected by cancer and their families. The organization runs three physical centres in Dublin (near Mater Hospital, St. James's Hospital, and St. Vincent's Hospital) plus remote services. The service portfolio includes Counselling Services (individual psychotherapy for clients and families), Support Groups (peer-facilitated groups for various cancer types), Complementary Therapies (acupuncture, reflexology, manual lymph drainage), Survivorship Programmes (post-treatment support including relaxation, yoga, and disease-specific courses), Wellbeing Classes (online via Zoom: mindfulness, yoga, Pilates, stress management), Educational Talks and Events (nutrition, fatigue management, palliative care), Family and Children Support (CLIMB programme, Sibs-Space, bereavement support), Child Therapy Services (play and art therapy for children aged 4+), Adolescent and Young Adult Counselling (creative therapeutic approaches), and Drop-In Centres with phone support. All services are provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counselling Services Professional psychotherapy and counselling services provided free of charge to individuals and families affected by cancer to help manage worries and concerns arising from a cancer diagnosis.
• Support Groups Monthly peer-facilitated support groups for various cancer types including breast cancer, prostate cancer, secondary cancer, gynaecological cancers, myeloma, men's cancers, and gender/age-specific groups, co-facilitated by trained therapists.
• Complementary Therapies (Acupuncture, Reflexology, Manual Lymph Drainage) Complementary therapies including acupuncture to address treatment side effects and reduce anxiety, reflexology for relaxation, and manual lymph drainage for cancer-related lymphoedema.
• Survivorship Programmes Post-treatment programmes including Relaxation and Visualisation, Chair Yoga, Prostate Cancer Programme, Living with Secondary Cancer Programme, Stress Management, and Cancer Thrive & Survive.
• Wellbeing Classes Weekly online classes via Zoom including Mindfulness, Yogalates, Yoga, Chair Yoga, Reflexology through the Hands, Stress Management, Relaxation, and Self Acupressure.
• Educational Talks and Events Free educational talks on topics including Nutrition & Cancer, Cancer Fatigue, Pain Management, Physical Activity, Bereavement, Palliative Care, Positive Appearance, and Talking to Children & Adolescents about Cancer.
• Family and Children Support Services including Sibs-Space Programme for siblings aged 6-11, CLIMB Programme for children aged 5-11, Remembering Together Bereavement Programme, and Carers and Relatives Stress Management Programme.
• Child Therapy Services Creative counselling supports using play and art therapy for children aged 4+ to help process emotional, social and behavioural difficulties related to cancer diagnosis in the family.
• Adolescent and Young Adult Counselling Counselling services for adolescents and young adults using creative approaches including art, music, sand, clay, games, and visualisation to help manage stress, anxiety, depression and family issues related to cancer.
• Drop-In Centres and Support Line Safe drop-in spaces at three centres (open Monday-Thursday 10am-3pm) for informal support with trained volunteers and staff, plus a phone support line (01 215 0250) available Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday 10am-2pm.

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Irish Cancer SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint data sharing arrangement with Irish Cancer Society (ICS) to provide comprehensive support services. ARC shares consent information with ICS, and receives referrals and shared data from ICS. Both organisations collaborate to ensure cancer patients receive necessary support and services.
• My LegacyminorOthersARC is a proud member of My Legacy, an umbrella organisation representing over 70 charities in Ireland that receive legacy gifts and bequests. Membership supports ARC's legacy giving programme.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Livestrong Foundation: US-based cancer support organisation providing navigation, counselling, and survivorship resources. Comparable focus on emotional and practical support for people affected by cancer, with broader national reach.
• Cancer Research UK: Largest cancer charity in the UK with a primary focus on research funding, but also provides patient information and support services. Comparable donor audience and brand space, though focused more on research than psychosocial support.
• Marie Curie: Major UK and Ireland charity focused on terminal illness and cancer support, including nursing services and emotional support. Overlaps with ARC's cancer support and end-of-life bereavement work but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK's largest cancer support charity providing information, financial guidance, and emotional support to people affected by cancer. Comparable service categories (counselling, complementary therapies, peer support) but at a national UK scale.
• Cancer Council Australia: Australia's peak national non-government cancer control organisation offering support, information, and research funding. Comparable comprehensive cancer-support service mix but operates nationally at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Irish Cancer Society: Ireland's largest national cancer charity, offering information, support, and research funding with overlapping psychosocial support services. ARC has a formal data-sharing and referral partnership with ICS, making it both a collaborator and a direct competitor for the same donor and patient pool.
• Look Good Feel Better: International charity dedicated to helping people manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment through workshops and self-care programmes. Comparable cancer-specific supportive-care focus and free-to-client model.
• Purple House Cancer Support: Irish cancer support charity offering free counselling, complementary therapies, and support groups to people affected by cancer. Closely comparable service model to ARC and competes for similar donor and volunteer audiences in Ireland.

Emerging players

• Console (Pieta House bereavement service): Irish charity providing bereavement counselling and suicide prevention services. Comparable in offering free therapeutic support and a similar hybrid in-person/remote delivery model, though ARC's cancer-specific lens differentiates it.

Regional players

• Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre: Cancer support centre based in Drogheda serving the northeast of Ireland with complementary therapies, counselling and survivorship programmes. Directly comparable in service model to ARC but operates in a different Irish region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arccancersupport
• Instagraminstagram.com/arccancersupport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arccancersupport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ARC Cancer Support Centres