For decades, charity-funded medical research has provided a lifeline of hope for so many – whether in exploring and developing new drugs for the future, bringing new treatments to patients via clinical trials or working to improve quality of life for those affected.
Thanks to research, we’ve seen real progress across many different health conditions – and so many of these breakthroughs have been made possible by the generosity of the public, donors and partners. In 2019, charity funded medical research represented over half of all funded medical research in the UK, totalling over £1.9 Billion.
However, without urgent action, the COVID-19 pandemic will have a devastating impact on charity-funded research. The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) has calculated that its member charities have experienced an average drop in fundraising income of almost a 40% – creating a total shortfall of £310 million in 2020 alone.
Without this income, many charities will not be able to fund the ground-breaking new research they’d been hoping to launch next year. In fact, it has been predicted that it could be 4.5 years before research spend is recovered back to pre-pandemic levels unless something is done.
Here at The Brain Tumour Charity, we’re expecting our own income to be reduced by over 40% this year, representing a drop of £4.8 million compared to last year. We’ve had to take significant steps to reduce our costs, including reducing the size of our workforce, to ensure we can continue to fund our current research projects as well as our support and information services.
But that shortfall has already had a devastating impact on our ability to fund new research: we were forced to cancel the next two grant rounds that we had planned, which could see us reduce our spend on world-class research by up to £5.5 million over the next five years. This could be equivalent to 8 fewer research projects, that could have been going further to find a cure or improve quality of life for people affected by a brain tumour. Research that represents the next breakthroughs towards better treatment and care. Research that represents hope.
Thanks to your support, all of our current research projects will be able to continue and be completed. But future research and progress is now at very real risk and we need your help to call for action!
How can you help?
By writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urge the Government to provide financial support to protect charity-funded medical research – as part of the AMRC’s #ResearchAtRisk campaign.
Sending this letter is so much easier than it sounds! The team at the AMRC have already drafted the template letter.
All you have to do is add your name and address and hit send.
Click here to show your support
Your letter will add to over 6,000 letters and counting, to call for action and ensure that the voice of our community does not go unheard. We cannot let progress be delayed towards our vision to double survival and halve the harm that brain tumours cause.
A cure really can’t wait.