Penny Brohn UK launches first ever Impact Report

Leading cancer charity, Penny Brohn UK has launched its first ever Impact Report, detailing the impact the charity made during 2018.

For almost 40 years the charity has worked compassionately alongside people with cancer, placing them at the heart of everything it does. The Impact Report describes the charity’s performance against its three key strategic aims:

• Reaching more people with cancer

Advocating an integrative approach for people with cancer

• Academy providing education and excellence.

In 2018 the charity reached more people than ever before bringing the total number of registered clients to over 13,500 for the first time. This included an increase in new client registrations of 2,752.

2018 also saw the launch of ‘Because I need more than medicine’, a campaign to recognise and increase awareness of the unmet holistic needs of people with cancer. Holistic needs are defined as physical, emotional, spiritual, social and practical needs. In 2012 a meta-study of newly diagnosed cancer patients found that up to 93% of the participants had unmet holistic needs.

For many people living with cancer the challenge is not dying, but living well. The ‘Because I need more than medicine’ campaign aims to provide a stimulus for dialogue that demands better integrated holistic support for people with cancer. And, to recognise Penny Brohn UK as the go-to organisation for holistic services for people with cancer.

In 2018, our clients told us that:

• 80% were making positive lifestyle changes

70% showed a clinically significantly improvement in their main cancer related concern

86% had an improved ability to self-management in their activation to

• 48% experience a clinically meaningful improvement in their activation to health.

We believe through increased engagement, collaboration and partnership working, Penny Brohn UK will be able to provide a blueprint for more integrated cancer care which helps alleviate the growing burden on the NHS. An independent economic evaluation of our Living Well course evidenced a £10.8 million potential saving to the wider health economy, a saving of £13,000-£14,000 per patient.

Francesca Barnes, Penny Brohn UK Chair said: “I am very proud and delighted to present this inaugural Impact Report from Penny Brohn UK. It is imperative that we demonstrate the significant and crucial changes we can make to the lives of people affected by cancer.”

Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at Penny Brohn UK, said: “Demand for our services is rising, reflecting the growing number of people living with the impact of a cancer diagnosis. Being able to demonstrate that our work creates a positive, sometimes profound, effect on someone’s lived experience of cancer is incredibly important for building trust with our clients. And, for inspiring our donors and reassuring our funders so that we can raise the £3 million per year we need to keep our services free to all those that need them.”

With nearly 40 years’ experience in holistic provision, Penny Brohn UK recognises that people with cancer need more than medicine to live well with the disease. It is the only charity in the UK to take an integrated whole person approach to cancer support using evidence-based therapies that work alongside medical treatment to achieve the best health and wellbeing.

For more information about Penny Brohn UK visit pennybrohn.org.uk. The Impact Report is available to download: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/2019/04/04/impact-2018/.