Cancer Research UK: Personal connections drive higher awareness and donation consideration

Cancer Research UK's annual Race for Life events take place across the UK this weekend, bringing thousands of participants together to raise money for cancer research. Data from YouGov CharityIndex indicates that while awareness of the charity's advertising has remained relatively stable in recent weeks, willingness to donate is notably higher among audiences with existing charitable engagement or personal connections to causes they support.

Personal connections to charitable causes drive higher Ad Awareness

Between 1 May and 16 June, Ad Awareness for Cancer Research UK among all UK adults remained steady, fluctuating between 18.3% and 21.0%.

The picture differs considerably among audiences with stronger links to charitable causes. Among people who have previously represented a charity in a sponsored event, Ad Awareness stands at 58.5% on 16 June. Similarly, among those who say they donate because they have a personal connection to a charity, Ad Awareness reached 58.2%.

By contrast, Ad Awareness is substantially lower among those personally affected by cancer. Awareness within this group peaked at 20.5% in late May before falling to 16.2% by 16 June, placing it below the national average.

Donation Consideration rises as Cancer Research UK’S Race for Life weekend approaches

Among all UK adults, Consideration to donate £1 declined from 47.3% at the start of May to 43.0% on 1 June, however, it has edged upwards in the run-up to Race for Life weekend – reaching 45.2% on 16 June.

Among those who have represented a charity in a sponsored event, Consideration reached 58.5% by mid-June. The same was true for those who say they donate because of a personal connection to a cause, whose Consideration score also stood above 58%.

Meanwhile, Consideration among those personally affected by cancer was broadly in line with the national average at 45.6%.

As Race for Life approaches, the data suggests that those with personal connections to charitable causes and previous fundraising experience are more aware – and more willing to donate – than those with direct experience of cancer.

Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Ad Awareness is based on the question: “Which of the following consumer brands have you seen an advertisement for in the past two weeks?" and is based on daily UK surveys weighted by age, gender, region, social grade, and ethnicity. Figures cover the period 1 May – 16 June 2026, with sample size ranging from 160 to 850.

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