Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has announced a £9m donation, which is one of the largest single philanthropic gifts pledged to it as part of a £400m fundraising drive.
The charity’s More Research, Less Cancer campaign, which launched in February 2024, has so far raised over £250m.
Its £9m gift from the ALBORADA Trust will fund six career development fellows at the charity and “develop the next generation of cancer research leaders”.
CRUK said that it would match the ALBORADA Trust’s donation, creating a total investment of £18m and 12 fellowships.
The charity added that the fellowships will “support exceptional researchers at a critical point in their careers, helping them establish independent research programmes, pursue ambitious ideas and build the skills, teams and expertise needed to become leaders in cancer research.”
The £9m gift marks one of the largest donations received so far by CRUK’s More Research, Less Cancer campaign, with the charity also previously receiving a £10m gift from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of CRUK, said: “Thanks to this generous investment from the ALBORADA Trust, more talented scientists will have the opportunity to establish independent research careers at a critical stage in their development and pursue research that could improve the lives of people affected by cancer.”
The ALBORADA Trust was founded by Kirsten Rausing in 2001 with its funding initially based on the racecourse earnings of her world champion horse also called ALBORADA.
It has supported CRUK since 2005 and distributed over £60m in total since its formation.
Rausing said: “The ALBORADA Trust has supported important work in cancer research for many years, and we are delighted to strengthen that commitment through a new long-term partnership with Cancer Research UK.
“Through the CRUK-ALBORADA Fellowships, we are proud to support talented researchers as they pursue innovative ideas and develop their potential as leaders.”
The ALBORADA Trust has also committed £1m to Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust in support of their new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
