BIA announces Bowel Cancer UK as its Charity Partnership for 2023
The BioIndustry Association (BIA) is delighted to announce Bowel Cancer UK as its charity partner for 2023. Bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer, claiming more than 16,500 lives a year, which is 45 people every day. The charity is determined to improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer, campaigning for early diagnosis, funding targeted research and providing expert support to patients and their families.
The partnership with the BIA and its members across the UK’s life sciences ecosystem will play a pivotal role in raising awareness and knowledge which could have a significant and lasting impact on research and the understanding of this disease.
The BIA, the UK’s trade association for innovative life sciences and biotech industry, will support Bowel Cancer UK through strategic opportunities and employee fundraising activities over the next 12 months. The partnership will be formally launched at the BIA’s Gala Dinner on Thursday, 26 January 2023.
The partnership aligns closely with the BIA’s commitment to position the UK as a global hub for innovative research, enabling our world-leading research base to deliver healthcare solutions that can truly make a difference to people's lives.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers. It is treatable if diagnosed early, but the survival rates drop significantly as the disease develops. This is the key reason the charity is advocating for early diagnosis, by ensuring people are getting the right test at the right time.
The BIA and Bowel Cancer UK are excited to work together to provide better outcomes for people affected with bowel cancer and to drive research that improves the prevention, early detection and treatment of the disease.
Steve Bates OBE, Chief Executive of the BIA said: “Shortly before she died tragically young of bowel cancer last year, Aisling Burnand CBE wrote to me urging that ‘two organisations she cared deeply for unite’ for this partnership. She made the case that the BIA’s support in 2023 would help ‘turbo-charge the restart of Bowel Cancer UK’s research programme’ post-Covid. Health charities are a key component of the UK’s life science innovation ecosystem; their research is driven by patient insight and provides deep scientific and clinical disease expertise that UK SMEs can learn from and partner with. This year we look forward to using the positive power of the network to improve awareness and make connections to help tackle the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.”
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK said: “Many of the major advances in saving lives from bowel cancer have come through partnerships with organisations like those who are members of the BioIndustry Association, and that is why we are so thrilled to be chosen as their charity partner for 2023. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer but investing in research is the key to understanding how we can save more lives from this treatable and curable disease.
We look forward to working with BIA and their valued members to drive positive change for patients and help to deliver improvements in bowel cancer survival in our lifetime. Central to this collaboration is the fearless and passionate former BIA CEO and our trustee Aisling Burnand CBE who we lost earlier this year. We know she would have been very proud of this partnership and that it will continue her important legacy.”
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For more information contact Alina O’Keeffe, Head of Marketing and Membership Communications [email protected]
The BIA’s Gala Dinner will be held at the Brewery in London on 26 January 2023. For more information, please visit www.biagaladinner.org
Find out more about BIA's Charity Partnership of the Year
About Bowel Cancer UK
We are the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We are determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. Our vision is a future where nobody dies of the disease.
We support: We provide expert information and support for everyone affected by bowel cancer. Our online forum is a place for people to talk about their experiences, share their knowledge and support each other.
We campaign: We are leading change for younger bowel cancer patients, campaigning to improve survival and quality of life for those with advanced bowel cancer and working to improve early diagnosis by ensuring people are getting the right test at the right time.
We support and enable research: We are committed to funding research that improves the prevention, early detection and treatment of the disease.
We educate: We run training, workshops and study days for healthcare professionals. We also have a dedicated team of volunteers who give free awareness talks to workplaces and community groups across the UK.