CANCER

Bloodwise 5
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2015
Thank you from our
chairman
2015 marks the 55th anniversary of Leukaemia &
Lymphoma Research. Since we began in 1960 we have
invested £500 million in research and helped to save
and improve the lives of very many patients.
This year has been an exceptional year in the
progress that we have made for patients, but we are
disappointed to end the year with a reduction in
income.
Two years ago we began to think about what the future
for patients should look like and our role in making
this happen. After the unimaginable advances over
the last 55 years could we beat blood cancer in this
lifetime?
During this period of review we have conducted the
most comprehensive research ever into the needs of
patients. This has involved 19 focus groups in cities
across the UK, one to one interviews with patients and
health professionals and a landmark national survey
that thousands of people have completed.
We have also conducted market research about
awareness of our charity, consulted with diverse
stakeholder groups across our organisation and given
very careful consideration to the role our name can
and should play in our future success.
The findings from this research, like much of our
research, were frankly revelatory and have helped us
to shape our future plans with clarity and conviction.
››
Changing the name of our charity to Bloodwise.
Bloodwise universalises our cause and embraces all
blood cancer patients. It unites all that we do from
our research to our patient support services and
fundraising.
We know that it is very different and quite surprising,
but it’s also short, simple and easy to remember, which
is so important when you’ve just been diagnosed with
blood cancer.
Together we hope that these activities will begin
to create the foundations for a clearly defined,
collaborative sector for blood cancer patients and of
course research will remain central to all that we do.
In considering how we can accelerate progress for
patients, we have also reviewed how we can ensure
that we maximise expenditure on patient benefit
each year. This has included careful consideration of
sector thinking about reserves. The reduction in our
net assets is a planned response to this thinking and
in future years we would expect to end the year with
negative net assets. For more information on this see
page 38
These are very exciting times, which are made possible
because of your support.
We will not stop until we have beaten blood cancer.
Thank you.
In response to the unparalleled insight and evidence
that we now have, in the coming year we will be:
››
Delivering a new signposting service for patients
and health professionals to give them the one
authoritative, collaborative source of trusted
information that they seek
Pelham Allen
Chairman
››
Launching a blood cancer awareness campaign
to begin to reverse the lack of awareness of blood
cancers and of the organisations that are here
to help
Bloodwise trading as Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Company limited by guarantee 738089
Registered charity 216032 (England & Wales) SC037529 (Scotland)