CancerWatch
Annual Report 1[st] Oct 2023 - 30[th] Sept 2024
September commenced with the engagement of a new policy consultant, Claire Mathys of Impact Policy who remained with us throughout the year. She was later to engage two assistant consultants.
The immediate task in hand was the dissemination of the Charity Section Review Report, which was developed by the previous policy consultant and which we had embellished to a professional standard by a graphic designer. We published in on our website and on social media and disseminated it wherever possible. We used it as an example of our research in any meetings that were held with other organisations. We also sent it to anyone who had made a contribution to those who produced the survey contained in the report. Sending it to carefully selected trustees of cancer charities on Trustee Week was surprisingly successful, as the pivot to greater prevention is an issue at strategy and trustee level.
In December our application to become a registered charity was successful. Key benefits of this include the use of Gift Aid and the existence of a regulator (the Charity Commission and Fund Raising Regulator) which gives reassurance of financial probity.
During the year we had meetings with the following charities and organisations in order to inform and develop our campaigns: British Liver Trust (Richard Daniels, Policy Executive); Action on Smoking and Health (Jim Patterson, Policy Manager); Alcohol Change (Ailar Hashemzadeh, Dir. Of Research & Public Affairs, Laura Harvey, Policy & Research Officer); Mesothelioma UK (Liz Darlison CEO); Action Kidney Cancer (Sharon Deveson Kell, Policy & Media Affairs, Karen McNee, Communications); C3 (Christine Hancock); Local Gov. Assn. (Charli Fudge, Senior Policy Adviser); Bill Morgan (SPAD at No 10 Downing St). The meetings had the effect of improving our sense of self-identity and allowing us to “stress test” our campaigns and policies.
In June our Chair attended the AGM of both Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s, with the assistance of ShareAction, and spoke strongly at their shareholder meetings against the retailing of tobacco products in their stores. Tesco is the largest retailer in the UK and thus is almost certainly the biggest purveyor of tobacco products in the country. By law, they are not allowed to have tobacco on open display, but this also has the unfortunate side effects of making their nicotine sales unnoticed.
Much of the year was spent under the shadow of an impending General Election whereby we had to ensure we were compliant with Charity and Electoral Commission regulations on political campaigning. We also had to develop our own manifesto which would form the
basis of any future campaigns. After lengthy discussions, especially with respect to what would be most successful from the point of view of the consultant, the following three “asks” were developed into a General Election Manifesto with the following:
1) A “polluter pays” tax on tobacco industry profits to fund comprehensive smoking cessation programmes
- 2) Mandatory alcohol labelling that provides information on key health risks
3) A target to minimise the use of ultra-processed foods especially in school meals.
In the event, the General Election was called earlier than expected (in July) which solved the problem of marking time when campaigning is difficult in political uncertainly.
However, with the establishment of the new government and with the assistance of our policy consultant, we wrote to the new Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting and the minister for public health, Andrew Gwynne, MP, introducing ourselves and putting forward our case. Our local MP, Rachel Blake for Cities of Westminster has been more difficult to link with.
In August we became members of both the Alcohol Health Alliance and the Obesity Health Alliance and now carry their logos on our website. Both organisations are prestigious umbrella organisations with a membership that includes royal colleges as well as national charities.
We developed a specified pathway for our smaller campaigns – social media/research/blogs/ and carried out a number of small campaigns during the year, for example an August skin cancer campaign on social media, and a wider Stoptober campaign including, social media, blogs etc. The Cancer Prevention Action Week in February 2024 was largely a low key affair, as the WCRF who promote it seemed to have little interest in it, but we have identified it as a major campaigning point and intend to take a more robust approach in the future.
Several blogs were written and published on our website, including ones covering: pork and nitrates/nitrites; parliament and cigarettes; alcohol and cancer; cervical cancer; UPFs – Why the Fuss and What’s the Answer; My Sliding Doors Moment (quitting smoking).
In social media, we now have established our Linked In page; Twitter page; Facebook Page and have been establishing a social media strategy. Our online presence will include improvements to our website during 2025.
JMC
1/5/25
Financial Accounts - Year Ending 30[th] September 2024
Note: CancerWatch became a registered charity on 11[th] December 2023
| Charity Commission Accounts | Charity Commission Accounts | Full Year |
|---|---|---|
| 11/12/23 – 30/09/24 |
1/10/23-30/09/24 | |
| Opening Balance | £0 | £0 |
| Income | ||
| Donatons: | £20,821.00 | £25,321.00 |
| Total Income | £20,821.00 | £25,321.00 |
| Expenditure | ||
| Website(paid previously by 3 yr contract) | £0 | £0 |
| Domain, Email Addresses, | £165.00 | £165.00 |
| Zoom Contract | £156.00 | £156.00 |
| Consultant Fees |
£17,100.00 | £21,600.00 |
| Membership Fees (OHA, AHA) | £1000.00 | £1000.0 |
| Fund Raising | £1200.00 | £1200.00 |
| Graphic Design and Printng | £1200.00 | £1200.00 |
| Total Expenditure | £20,821.00 | £25,321.00 |
| Income less Expenditure | £0 | £0 |
CancerWatch Address for Correspondence: 8 Maunsel Street, London SW1P 2QL