The Executive Magazine is proud to announce its appointment as the official Media Partner of North West Cancer Research. The charity has funded research, public education and support across the North West of England and North Wales for more than seven decades. Its work is directed by one aim, which is to put the region’s cancer needs first.

The magazine regards the appointment as an honour and a natural continuation of its recent coverage. Readers were introduced to the charity through an exclusive interview with chief executive Alastair Richards and a report on a fundraising evening at Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, where a unique Jacob & Co watch took centre stage at auction. Both articles showed how much the organisation achieves with the support of local businesses, families and volunteers.

People living in the North West are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the rest of the UK. The charity has built its strategy around reducing that figure, and The Executive Magazine will help share that work with its c500,000 subscribers across the UK.

Research funded on the region’s doorstep

North West Cancer Research has invested £55 million in life-saving research since 2000 and currently supports 60 active cancer research projects. The funding is spent in the region’s own universities and hospitals, so discoveries made locally can reach local patients first. The charity also works with seven partner charities to extend the reach of its programmes.

Current projects cover a broad range of clinical need. Researchers are working to prevent the most aggressive type of womb cancer, explore less invasive testing for bowel cancer and study how prehabilitation affects chemo-brain in colorectal cancer patients. At The University of Manchester, a team is searching for new drug targets in small cell lung cancer, while another project is developing a new approach to end-of-life care.

The organisation is also investing in the next generation of scientists, with recent funding dedicated to future cancer researchers in North Wales. Its chief executive explained the value of that local focus in his interview with the magazine.

Regional data guides every priority

The charity sets its priorities through detailed analysis of how cancer affects its communities. Its figures show that people in the North West are 19% more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer and 19% more likely to be diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. The likelihood of a head and neck cancer diagnosis is 17% higher, while for bladder cancer the figure is 13%.

This evidence is published in regional reports for both the North West and North Wales, alongside roundtable reports for Liverpool, Lancashire and South Cumbria, and Greater Manchester. Alastair Richards has pointed to local factors including deep health inequalities, a legacy of industrial work, and rural and coastal areas where accessing diagnosis or treatment can be harder. A clear view of these conditions allows the charity to direct funding to the interventions that will deliver the greatest benefit.

Campaigns built on real stories

Public education sits alongside research as the second pillar of the charity’s work, and its awareness campaigns have engaged 5 million people. The ‘I’m Here Today…’ campaign used the experiences of local people to encourage recognition of bowel cancer symptoms and the return of screening kits, at a time when around one third of kits are not returned. Its message was kept deliberately simple, asking people to know the symptoms and to complete a screening kit when one arrives.

Other campaigns focus on specific cancers. ‘Don’t Ignore The Signs’ addresses oesophageal cancer, ‘Listen to What Your Body is Telling You’ covers ovarian cancer and ‘Protect With SPF’ promotes sun safety, while a dedicated lung cancer campaign highlights symptoms that can be mistaken for an everyday illness. For younger audiences, the Lab Coat Learning programme offers an interactive introduction to cancer in schools.

The charity also works with employers on practical workplace measures, from sunscreen, shade and protective clothing for outdoor workers to short sessions on the signs and symptoms of common cancers. Allowing colleagues time to attend screening appointments is among the most straightforward steps an organisation can take.

A one-off timepiece for a regional cause

Corporate support for the charity was on full display on 10 July, when a golf day at Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere raised more than £80,000 for research and healthcare education across the North West. The event was co-created by Laurence Barrow of Barrow Electrical and Alan Knell of North West Cancer Research. Neither had organised a golf tournament before, and the cause was a deeply personal one for Laurence, following his wife’s diagnosis with brain cancer in June 2025.

Twenty-two teams played the newly renovated championship course before the evening moved into the resort’s 1,000 square metre Grand Ballroom for its inaugural official use. Guests enjoyed a multi-course dinner, live entertainment and a grand auction, followed by an awards ceremony recognising leading teams and charity advocates.

The headline lot was a one-off Epic X Sport, the first timepiece Jacob & Co has produced for a British charity. The 41mm Grade 5 titanium watch carries the 25% Club logo on both the dial and the sapphire caseback, and it is powered by Calibre JCHA01, the first movement in the house’s history to be systematically certified as a chronometer by the COSC. Every pound raised has been allocated to research and local healthcare education programmes, and the day will return as an annual fixture at the resort.

The 25% Club sets a clear ambition

The 25% Club brings together philanthropists who want to change cancer outcomes across the region. Its stated ambition is to reduce the 25% figure to 20%, then to 10% and one day to 0%, with members’ support funding vital research and accelerating breakthroughs.

Businesses can also engage through Charity of the Year partnerships, sponsorship and ESG initiatives, and many partners combine several approaches. A Charity of the Year partnership gives teams a shared focus through fundraising, events and volunteering, while sponsorship aligns a brand with the cause. For companies with ESG goals, working with the charity offers genuine social value in the communities where they operate.

When choosing a long-term charity partner, Alastair Richards recommends looking for a clear track record and transparency about where money goes and what it achieves. He also advises looking for a genuine connection to local communities and shared values and ambition.

Bringing the cause into the spotlight

As official Media Partner, The Executive Magazine will bring the charity’s research, campaigns and partnership opportunities to its readers. The appointment builds on the editorial relationship established through the interview and the coverage of the evening at The Mere. The magazine is honoured to stand alongside an organisation so closely tied to the communities it serves.

The charity’s message to the public is simple and direct, encouraging people to know the symptoms, take up screening and support research carried out on their doorstep. With decades of work behind it and a clear target to bring the 25% figure down to zero, the organisation has set out its direction for the years ahead. The Executive Magazine looks forward to sharing that progress as the partnership develops.