CANCER RESEARCH UK

Registered charity 1089464 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CANCER RESEARCH UNITED KINGDOM · also registered in Scotland as SC041666 (OSCR)

Cancer Research UK is dedicated to saving lives through research. Our mission is to prevent, control and cure cancer through our ground-breaking research and in the last 40 years our work has helped double survival rates. But there is more work to be done. The only charity fighting over 200 types of cancer, we rely on every pound donated to help get us closer to beating cancer.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£734.8m

Latest spending

£714.7m

Registered

2001

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income increased by 8% to £735m, driven largely by a £58m rise in legacy gifts. The charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £320m in managed cash and investments, representing approximately 5.2 months of cover against cash outgoings, which exceeds its policy minimum of three months.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Employees paid over £60,000: 380

“The figures used to calculate the bandings above are inclusive of wages, salaries and benefits but exclusive of social security costs and employer pension contributions.” — page 86

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Legacies (39% of income)

“Our income from gifts in Wills continued to grow and accounted for nearly 40% of our total income. We received £288m from legacy gifts”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Fundraising cost ratio: 22.0% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“22p used for fundraising”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: minimum of three months (held: £320.0m)

“we revised our reserves requirement from a range of 3–5 months of our total outgoings to a minimum of three months.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant funding to The Francis Crick Institute, where trustees Dr Iain Foulkes and Michelle Mitchell held positions.

“The Charity provides grant funding to the Crick. For more details on the Group’s shareholding in the Crick, see note 14.”

“Professor Nic Jones is a trustee of the Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital (the ICR). The Charity provides grant funding to the ICR.” — page 115

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant funding to Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital, where trustee Professor Nic Jones holds a position.

“The Charity provides grant funding to the Crick. For more details on the Group’s shareholding in the Crick, see note 14.”

“Professor Nic Jones is a trustee of the Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital (the ICR). The Charity provides grant funding to the ICR.” — page 115

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Reward to Inventor payment to trustee Professor Gerard Evan.

“The Charity provides grant funding to the Crick. For more details on the Group’s shareholding in the Crick, see note 14.”

“Professor Nic Jones is a trustee of the Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital (the ICR). The Charity provides grant funding to the ICR.” — page 115

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant funding to Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute.

“The Charity provides grant funding to the Crick. For more details on the Group’s shareholding in the Crick, see note 14.”

“Professor Nic Jones is a trustee of the Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital (the ICR). The Charity provides grant funding to the ICR.” — page 115

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Employees paid over £60,000: 312 (FY2024) → 380 (FY2025).
Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "within" (FY2024) to "above" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Cancer Research UK (matched by registered charity number).

UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)

Property (HM Land Registry)

462 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (21 freehold); recorded price paid £2.0m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustpilot: Cancer Research UK scores 1.9/5 from 127 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram (259K followers)

Advertised salaries (public job ads)

Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.

Clinical Data Manager · Remote in London
Prospect Research Manager · Stratford
Retail Sunday Assistant · Bury St. Edmunds
Strategic Partnerships Insight Manager · Hybrid work in London
Strategic Partnerships Insight Manager · Hybrid work in London
Retail Saturday Assistant · Liphook
Retail Assistant Manager · Penzance
Training and Quality Coordinator · London

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£734.8m

Total spending

£714.7m

Cost of raising funds

£129.6m

Reserves (reported)

£363.4m

Employees

5,169

Reported reserves equal ~6.1 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 17.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (23/06/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (30/03/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (14/02/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (24/04/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (24/01/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (20/01/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Catherine Eve Smaje
Dr Robert James Campbell Easton · trustee of 1 other charity
Hitesh Thakrar · trustee of 2 other charities
JOANNE MARY SHAW · trustee of 1 other charity
Lord Simon Stevens
Mark Philip Evans
PROFESSOR GERARD IAN EVAN
PROFESSOR NICHOLAS CLWYD JONES
PROFESSOR PAMELA RENATE KEARNS PhD FRCPCH
Professor Dame Nancy Jane Rothwell
Professor Doreen Ann Cantrell FRS
Professor Dr Reinier Harm Medema
Rakshit Kapoor · trustee of 1 other charity
Sarah Whitney

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£734.8m	£714.7m
31/03/2024	£684.2m	£692.4m
31/03/2023	£718.8m	£640.8m
31/03/2022	£668.4m	£665.9m
31/03/2021	£582.1m	£570.6m

Common questions

Is CANCER RESEARCH UK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased by 8% to £735m, driven largely by a £58m rise in legacy gifts. The charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £320m in managed cash and investments, representing approximately 5.2 months of cover against cash outgoings, which exceeds its policy minimum of three months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Who funds CANCER RESEARCH UK?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CANCER RESEARCH UK as a grant recipient include CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK, GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL CHILDREN'S CHARITY, Flat Iron Trust, THE TANLAW FOUNDATION, The Hugh Mumford Charitable Trust.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK	FY2022	£2.8m	Research into prevention and causes
GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL CHILDREN'S CHARITY	FY2023	£1.3m	Research
Flat Iron Trust	FY2024	£1.0m
THE TANLAW FOUNDATION	FY2023	£1.0m	Medical and disability
The Hugh Mumford Charitable Trust	FY2025	£1.0m
THE EXILARCH'S FOUNDATION	FY2022	£802k	Hospitals, Medical Education and Research
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£644k
DENISE COATES FOUNDATION	FY2025	£593k	To support a three-year project testing and trialling a new vaccine to prevent ovarian cancer.
THE TAYLOR FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£250k
THE CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£250k	Medical, Health and Sickness
OPTIGENE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£238k
CRIS CANCER FOUNDATION	FY2025	£201k	Lung Cancer Vaccine Development
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£172k	Medical research
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£172k	Medical research
THE SCHRODER FOUNDATION	FY2023	£150k
THE PENNIES FOUNDATION	FY2021	£148k	Grant to institution
THE PENNIES FOUNDATION	FY2023	£147k
THE JOAN LYNETTE DALTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£143k
SLIMMERS MAKING IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR SOMEONE	FY2023	£142k
Flat Iron Trust	FY2025	£140k
GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL CHILDREN'S CHARITY	FY2024	£127k	Research
PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH	FY2022	£112k	177Lu-PSMA
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2022	£110k
THE ADA HILLARD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£101k
THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£100k
THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£100k
THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£100k	Protect and promote health of the public by research into the nature, causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure of all forms of cancer
THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£100k	Protect and promote health of the public by research into the nature, causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure of all forms of cancer
THE SCHRODER FOUNDATION	FY2022	£100k
PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£95k
PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£95k
THE PENNIES FOUNDATION	FY2024	£94k
DAVID LISTER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£93k
PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH	FY2023	£86k	AR-V Splicing
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£82k	Medical research
PETER DUBENS FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£80k
PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£70k
THE MITIE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£64k
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£63k	Medical research
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£63k	Medical research
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£60k	Medical research
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£60k	Medical research
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CHARITY LIMITED	FY2022	£60k
Flat Iron Trust	FY2023	£60k
SOHN FOUNDATION LONDON	FY2024	£60k
SOHN FOUNDATION LONDON	FY2023	£60k
THE BROWNSWORD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£60k
THE ALBORADA TRUST	FY2024	£55k
VEG TRUST INCORPORATING THE MATTHEW EYTON ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST	FY2023	£51k	Medical research
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2025	£50k

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Community Foundation North East	31/07/2025	£1k	Grant to Cancer Research UK

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	3	£11k
THE CHANDRIS FOUNDATION	3	£4k
THE TIM BACON FOUNDATION	2	£30k
DUDLEY AND GEOFFREY COX CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£29k
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)	2	£26k
SIR SAMUEL SCOTT OF YEWS TRUST	2	£15k
THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION	2	£15k
THE JENOUR FOUNDATION	2	£11k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BREAST CANCER NOW.

BREAST CANCER NOW income £59.3m
Blood Cancer UK Research income £21.1m
BREAST CANCER UK LIMITED income £2.1m
THE CANCER TREATMENT AND RESEARCH TRUST CIO income £502k
YORKSHIRE CANCER RESEARCH income £27.7m
CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK income £17.8m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
CANCER RESEARCH UK	£734.8m	—	380	above	22.0%	no doubt
BREAST CANCER NOW FY2025	£59.3m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
Blood Cancer UK Research FY2025	£21.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BREAST CANCER UK LIMITED FY2025	£2.1m	—	0	above	17.7%	no doubt
THE CANCER TREATMENT AND RESEARCH TRUST CIO FY2024	£502k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
YORKSHIRE CANCER RESEARCH FY2025	£27.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.