In this together

By pledging to leave a gift in your Will, you can help Cancer Research UK continue its transformative work for future generations

One in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime1, so whether you or a loved one has received a diagnosis, chances are you’ve been impacted by it in some way. But happily, the survival rate in this country has doubled in the last 40 years, which is thanks in part to Cancer Research UK.

Gifts (or donations) left in Wills are vital in helping Cancer Research UK discover pioneering treatments. The charity has contributed to more than 50 cancer drugs in use today, proved the link between smoking and cancer and laid the foundations for modern radiotherapy, to name a few examples.

This year marks 20 years since the charity was formed, and 120 years since the founding of its predecessor, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. By leaving a gift in your Will you can help the charity continue to play a pivotal role in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Linda’s story

Mum-of-two Linda Davies knows firsthand the effects cancer can have on a family and the importance of funding research. ‘My son Jeremy was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was just 26. He was about to get married and was going to be a father too,’ she says.

‘He had surgery a week before his wedding and went on his honeymoon not knowing the severity of that cancer, or if he would need chemotherapy on his return. That was 19 years ago, and he and his wife now have two children. Since then, my dad has died from cancer, and my husband Mike was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago. All three experiences are the reasons we need to support research,’ Linda explains.

Linda has pledged to leave a legacy in her Will, which she sees as a ‘celebration of the progress that has been made by research, while also recognising that more work needs to be done’.

She adds: ‘After Jeremy’s treatment, I wanted to say, “Thank you”. He had benefitted from the research, treatment and training, which had taken place before his diagnosis. I wanted to help pass that gift on to others in the future so they could benefit in the same way. Going through cancer can be such a traumatic and dark time for a family, but leaving a legacy feels like a very positive way of doing something about it. It means we can be optimistic about future diagnosis and treatment.

‘I can’t do the research myself, but I stand alongside the researchers, and I am part of the progress that is being made. When I hear a news story about research breakthroughs or survival, I feel involved. I get so much out of supporting and seeing where the money goes. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.’

AS et al, British Journal of Cancer, 2015