BREAST CANCER NOW
We're Breast Cancer Now, the UK's largest breast cancer charity and we're dedicated to funding research into this devastating disease. We're bringing together all those affected by the disease to improve the way we prevent, detect, treat and stop the disease. We believe that if we all act now, by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity's free reserves stood at £10.5 million, which is below the stated policy target of three months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reported a surplus of £1.2 million for the year, funded by a significant increase in donations and legacies, allowing it to maintain its operations and research programs despite the reserves being below the policy target.
What the accounts disclose
Corporate structure
- Registered company of the charity Companies House 09347608
Company officers (Companies House)
- MEDDINGS, Richard Henry on trustee list
- WOODS, Emma on trustee list
- RUSSELL, Gail Elizabeth on trustee list
- GORMAN, Helen Sarah on trustee list
- RICHARDS, William James Patrick on trustee list
- TUCKER, Gail Louise on trustee list
- FELTON, Keith David on trustee list
- RYAN, Claire on trustee list
- ONI, Georgette Ulia Mogbonjubola, Dr on trustee list
- MAKRIS, Andreas, Dr on trustee list
- SHARMA, Nisha, Dr on trustee list
- DOWSETT, Mitchell, Professor not on trustee list
- HOLEN, Ingunn, Professor on trustee list
UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)
- Exploring the Teachable Moment for Alcohol Reduction in Breast Clinics: Formative Work to Inform Intervention Design, Development, Process Evaluation
- Micro-Robotics for Surgery
- A Shared Space and a Space for Sharing: A Transdisciplinary Exploration of Online Trust and Empathy
- Charting cellular changes in the human breast associated with embryogenesis, parity, age, menopause and germline mutations
Property (HM Land Registry)
Advertised salaries (public job ads)
- Senior Marketing Officer — £34,000 - £39,500 per year
- Mass Participation Executive (Afternoon Tea) — £26,936 - £27,500 per year
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (19/11/2025)
- Received assets from another charity (11/09/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (15/08/2024)
Trustees
- Claire Ryan
- Dr Andreas Makris
- Dr Nisha Sharma
- Emma Woods
- Gail Louise Tucker
- Gail Russell
- Georgette Ulia Mogbonjubola Oni
- Helen Gorman
- KEITH DAVID FELTON
- Professor Ingunn Holen
- Professor Mitch Dowsett
- Richard Henry Meddings
- William James Patrick Richards
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | £59.3m | £66.8m |
| 31/07/2024 | £57.5m | £56.3m |
| 31/07/2023 | £49.6m | £53.4m |
| 31/07/2022 | £66.9m | £44.0m |
| 31/07/2021 | £43.0m | £34.5m |
Common questions
Is BREAST CANCER NOW financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity's free reserves stood at £10.5 million, which is below the stated policy target of three months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reported a surplus of £1.2 million for the year, funded by a significant increase in donations and legacies, allowing it to maintain its operations and research programs despite the reserves being below the policy target. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by BDO UK LLP.
Who funds BREAST CANCER NOW?
Funders whose own accounts filings name BREAST CANCER NOW as a grant recipient include GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION, OPTIGENE FOUNDATION, THE MIMOSA TRUST, HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE 3 TS CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postcode Lottery | 13/02/2025 | £2.5m | Regular Grant 2025 |
| Postcode Lottery | 01/12/2023 | £2.5m | Regular Grant 2024 |
| Postcode Lottery | 16/02/2023 | £2.6m | Regular Grant 2023 |
| Postcode Lottery | 01/02/2022 | £2.5m | Regular Grant 2022 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 25/07/2019 | £177k | BECCA (Breast Cancer Care App) |
| Sport England | 09/04/2018 | £49k | RG Physical Activity Project |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| DENISE COATES FOUNDATION | 2 | £1.0m |
| THE PENNIES FOUNDATION | 2 | £416k |
| THE TIM BACON FOUNDATION | 2 | £195k |
| The Trevor Hemmings Foundation | 2 | £195k |
| PINK RIBBON FOUNDATION | 2 | £26k |
| The Dentons UK and Middle East LLP Charitable Trust | 2 | £6k |
| THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUST | 2 | £5k |
| ONE FOOTSTEP | 1 | — |
Charities like this
- BREAST CANCER UK LIMITED
- CANCER RESEARCH UK
- Prevent Breast Cancer
- BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AID (BCRA)
- LADIES FIGHTING BREAST CANCER CHARITABLE TRUST
- BREAST CANCER KENT
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BREAST CANCER NOW | £59.3m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| BREAST CANCER UK LIMITED | £2.1m | — | 0 | above | 17.7% | no doubt |
| CANCER RESEARCH UK | £734.8m | — | 380 | above | 22.0% | no doubt |
| Prevent Breast Cancer | £2.2m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AID (BCRA) | £123k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| LADIES FIGHTING BREAST CANCER CHARITABLE TRUST | £233k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |