Hope Against Cancer is Leicestershire and Rutland’s local cancer research charity. Established in 2003 to bring cutting-edge research to the area, the charity make clinical trials available to local people. Since 2003 they have raised in excess of £5m and funded over 60 research projects tackling many different forms of cancer.
The charity work in partnership with local universities and hospitals to fund pioneering research to ensure that Leicestershire remains a hub of expertise in cancer research and treatment.
Around 5,000 people in Leicestershire are diagnosed with cancer each year and the region currently has hot spots of cancer associated with cultural and socio-economic factors and healthcare inequalities.
Hope Against Cancer was instrumental in the city of Leicester becoming a cancer research centre of excellence, between 2014-2017 one of only 15 in the UK.
The charity will continue to develop talent and help train the next generation of local cancer researchers through funding to support postgraduates and cancer clinicians pursuing a career in cancer research – a critical area for which national funding is being cut and limited.