We hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend!
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. You can find more information about signs and symptoms on our skin cancer information webpages.
In this newsletter, we're sharing some great updates, including a historic moment in our mission to beat cancer, updated resources to support you in your volunteering, and the latest from our fundraising and awareness campaigns - plus much more.
We hope it leaves you feeling inspired and proud to be part of our volunteer community.
Thank you, as always, for everything you do.
Julie Byard, Director of Trading
Cancer Research UK
We’ve recently refreshed our Welcome to Volunteering Booklet, which is a key resource for all volunteers at Cancer Research UK. The booklet is shared with new volunteers as part of their induction and includes useful information for volunteers at all stages of your journey with us.
As part of this refresh, we’ve also created a brand-new Volunteer Behaviours document(PDF), which outlines in more detail the processes and behaviours that we ask all members of our volunteer community to follow as part of our team.
The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK cash campaign is back for its third year in 2026. In 2024 and 2025, staff and volunteers across the country approached the campaign with heart and humour and showcased their creativity, dedication and teamwork, helping us to smash our fundraising target two years in a row!
You’ve hopefully spotted the new Bowelbabe Fund product range and health information posters in-store throughout April, and we’re excited to keep this momentum with the third year of our fundraising campaign.
From Monday 18 May to Sunday 14 June, we’re aiming to raise £402,000 to continue Deborah’s legacy of wanting to give more people affected by cancer more time with the people they love. You can support the campaign quickly and easily by asking for Round Up or a cash donation at the till. It really makes a difference!
Want to find out or do more? Ask your shop manager how you can get involved.
On 29 April, the Tobacco and Vapes Act became law, preventing people born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever legally being sold tobacco. This is a historic milestone in our mission to beat cancer.
This world-leading legislation is a significant step towards protecting future generations from the harms of smoking, the biggest cause of cancer, and will help to create the first ever smokefree generation in the UK.
If this legislation has the impact the UK Government hopes, by 2040, up to 10 million fewer cigarettes will be smoked each day in the UK.
This moment was made possible by decades of research, campaigning and action, and the hard work of countless teams and individuals - including our dedicated community of volunteer Campaigns Ambassadors.
Thank you to every single one of you for giving your time to support Cancer Research UK and champion our mission. Together, we’ve helped make history. This win belongs to all of us.
Below you'll hear from Campaign Ambassador, Lynne, about what this achievement means to her:
This year Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is celebrating the power of the unlikeliest athletes – the ‘athleasts’ – showing you don’t need to be an athlete to make a life-saving difference.
With a quarter (24%) of the population believing you need to be ‘extremely fit’ or an ‘athlete' like Dame Kelly Holmes to take part in a charity race, Cancer Research UK has teamed up with Dame Kelly herself to educate the nation that “You don’t need to be Dame Kelly Holmes to do a Race for Life” - and why it’s important that the UK’s 'athleasts' get involved.
The message is simple. Whether you walk, jog or run, Race for Life is for everyone, no matter your age, fitness level or reason for getting out there.
Read more about the Athleasts campaign
A moderated discussion forum where you can talk to others affected by cancer, share experiences and get support.
As one of our shop volunteers you have access to tailored, free and confidential health and wellbeing support.
Find useful information and resources for volunteers and stay up to date with the latest news and updates.
If you received a link to this information by text message it is because you volunteer in one of our shops. If you’re no longer volunteering with us, please email us at volunteering@cancer.org.uk.
