Our progress in 2024

Today we’ve published our Annual Report and Accounts 2024, and it’s clear the year marks a turning point. 

When we launched our bold new five-year strategy in 2023, we knew it was ambitious, but achievable. Our mission? To build a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer by diagnosing more people earlier, when the disease is more treatable

Thanks to your support, here’s how we made progress in 2024:

We confronted the barriers that prevent people seeking help

We kicked off our first ever behaviour change campaign, Tell Your GP Instead, encouraging people to see their GP if they experience symptoms of possible bowel cancer. Our mid-point review showed promising results and we’ll be running a full evaluation. 

We tackled taboos on prime-time TV

We launched our new partnership with Andrex® to flush the nation’s toilet embarrassment. When global TV superstar Sharon Osbourne shared her bowel cancer story from the iconic Celebrity Big Brother Diary Room chair, we took the conversation into millions of homes. 

We invested in research to further early diagnosis

We awarded £500,000 in three new research grants focused on improving the early diagnosis of bowel cacner. The three projects are 

• Investigating the barriers to surveillance colonoscopy faced by people in areas with more deprivation  

• Understanding the difficulties people face when asked to complete a faecal immunochemical test, or poo test, by their GP 

• Developing a blood test to detect early-stage bowel cancer  

We shone a light on Lynch syndrome

We released a powerful new report, Finding The Missing 95%. It revealed big improvements in Lynch syndrome testing for newly diagnosed bowel cancer patients, but significant challenges remain for testing family members, data collection and routine surveillance. It's a vital step toward earlier diagnosis and better care for thousands at higher risk of bowel cancer. 

We helped people when they needed us most

We provided 4.4 million moments of support to people affected by bowel cancer, from information and resources, to events and peer support services.  

From cash to impact – you made it happen 

You helped us raise more than £6.6 million to fund our vital work. Everything you do makes a difference – fundraising and donating, raising awareness, helping us deliver services, sharing personal stories, volunteering, using your experience in surveys and consultations, following us on social media, taking campaign actions, using our services, and telling others about them. 

Thank you for your support 

Thank you to each and every one of our supporters – together we’re building a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer. 

• Read the full Annual Report and Accounts 2024
• Find out how you can support our work
• Learn the symptoms of bowel cancer