Scottish cancer charity to invest £3m in research across world

A Scottish cancer charity has committed £3m to new research around the world.

Worldwide Cancer Research’s scientific advisory committee held their Bold Ideas Gathering (BIG) online for the first time to discuss projects which could receive funding, which was raised through fundraising and public donations.

Following the two-day meeting, which took place on Thursday and Friday, the charity confirmed that at least £3m will be invested in starting new cures for cancer.

The funding will be offered to researchers based in eight different countries, including Australia and Italy, and will cover 11 different types of cancer, including breast cancer and kidney cancer.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the charity received 392 project applications – up 10% from last year.

However, with an average research project costing around £200,000, the committee was only able to offer funding to around 15 new projects.

Since 1979, the charity has funded over £200m worth of research in over 30 countries.

Suzanne Davies, a Scottish mother of two who is living with glioblastoma, said: “When the doctors found my brain tumour, they said I’d have a year to live.

“Now six years on, I’m so thankful for research and for the treatments, surgery advances and drugs that were and are available to me.

“It’s devastating to see the impact that the pandemic is having on charities all across the country, but I’m over the moon to hear that Worldwide Cancer Research can continue to find new cures for cancer because of supporters like me.”

Dr Helen Rippon, chief executive of Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “With all our attention focused on the pandemic, it’s too easy to forget that 44 people die of cancer in Scotland every single day.

“People with cancer are frightened their needs will be overlooked because the world is too busy tackling another disease.

“To them, I say this: We hear you and we are here for you. Thanks entirely to the thousands of people who have dug extra deep to support Worldwide Cancer Research this last few months, we can continue to start new cancer cures across the world this year, just as we have for the last 40.

“Cancer hasn’t stopped and neither will we.”