NEW CANCER RESEARCH UK CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FACING BIG CHALLENGES

Cancer Research UK’s new Chief Executive, Michelle Mitchell, has now taken up her post following her appointment earlier this year. In her new role, she will face many of the same challenges facing all CEO’s, whether in the corporate or charity sector. Where is the organisation going? How will it maintain or increase growth? What will the broader economy mean to fundraising? And more, including understanding and improving public perceptions of the charity.

For over and above the recognised and accepted challenges, Michelle Mitchell faces some that should have no place in any organisation but especially not one in the charity sector, challenges which have festered for too long and which will continue to undermine confidence in the charity if left unaddressed.

They lie within the culture at Cancer Research UK, a culture whereby low integrity and dishonesty are acceptable, hypocrisy is the norm, and fraud by former employees is ignored.

Since launching the Race 4 Truth in May, we have reported on all of the above, citing examples and providing evidence where necessary. The deafening silence from Cancer Research UK speaks to integrity so low that the exposing of this sordid history is not deemed worthy of any comment whatsoever. But then, how do you defend the indefensible?

Our campaign started when Cancer Research UK lied about Jim Cowan having created the Race for Life, costing him a job.

It has traced the many and varied false claims from Cancer Research UK as to the origins of the event and provided evidence, including correspondence from a former employee crediting Jim with taking the original idea to them.

That same employee went on to falsely claim the idea as her own, a claim we queried as potentially fraudulent given it will undoubtedly have appeared on that individual’s CV thereby enhancing her career and gaining her monetary reward. And yet, Cancer Research UK have remained silent over the issue, other former employees even supporting the potentially fraudulent claims. And one can only ponder on whether those false claims were supported with references from Cancer Research UK which helped to embed the lie?

When it became apparent to the charity that the lie was exposed and that they could no longer deny that Jim Cowan created their most successful fundraising event, the policy shifted to one of not crediting anyone (barring one slip by an employee who credited yet another different source).

One can only wonder at the hypocrisy of an organisation, and individuals therein, who refuse to recognise the person who created their largest fundraising event, one which has raised over £1/2 Billion for the charity.

Hypocrisy? Absolutely. For although the charity and its leadership refuse to recognise Jim Cowan, they have been more than happy over the years to accept recognition for themselves; both the outgoing CEO (Harpal Kumar) and current Chairman (Leszek Borysiewicz) have accepted knighthoods in recognition of their own work. The charity and its staff have accepted awards for its work and they also hand out awards to others in recognition of their support.

All of the above in contrast to their refusal to recognise one man, a man who created an enormously successful event, one that changed the fundraising landscape in the UK forever. But who Cancer Research refuse to recognise, let alone thank.

Along the way we have uncovered other issues bringing the charity’s integrity into question. The (deliberate?) omission of any mention of the fact that not a single penny of the entry fee for the Race for Life supports research into cancer. Even asking a straight question as to how much of the funds raised via sponsorship funds research failed to elicit a straight answer, a straight answer we are still waiting for.

Low integrity, misleading supporters, dishonesty, support for fraudsters, hypocrisy. We can only imagine the depths to which these issues go when considered against the breadth of Cancer Research UK’s activities as oppose the recognition of one man’s brilliant creation.

The challenge of bringing about the cultural change needed to reverse the above wrongs cannot be underestimated. We wish Michelle Mitchell well as she takes up her new role and hope she will lead from the front and restore the integrity to Cancer Research UK, integrity which has been absent for far too long.

Not to do so, will only undermine public confidence further, in turn undermining the chances of success in those other challenges we mention at the beginning of this piece.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

CANCER RESEARCH UK’S SILENCE SERVES ONLY TO INCRIMINATE THEM

In the relatively short space of time since we set up the Race 4 Truth we have uncovered and shared numerous instances of Cancer Research UK lying, being hypocritical, supporting fraud, demonstrating poor ethics and low integrity, misleading supporters, and more. All of this in addition to their continued refusal to recognise the man who created the Race for Life.

In response, the silence from Cancer Research UK has been deafening. But that silence speaks volumes.

Some might suggest that silence is golden but in this instance, we would suggest it is far from that, instead incriminating Cancer Research UK by their failure to offer any explanation of their actions or any defence to the many issues we have raised.

They are one of the UK’s largest charities with their own big in-house legal department. Yet they have offered no explanation and defence to any of the many issues we have uncovered. No defence to the lies (both blatant and by omission), the hypocrisy, the possible fraud, and more. Surely an innocent party would react, would respond?

But no, they haven’t.

But then, when you are not innocent, what can you say? What possible evidence can you offer? Maybe Cancer Research UK think silence is the best option? Maybe they think eventually we will give up and go away?

We won’t. Not until Cancer Research UK do the right thing and recognise Jim Cowan for creating the Race for Life instead of lying about it, making up fiction about it, hypocritically accepting recognition for themselves, and supporting fraudulent claims about it.

The continued silence from Cancer Research UK speaks volumes and serves only to incriminate them.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

RACE FOR LIFE’S TRIPLE WHAMMY

Cancer Research UK and the Race for Life are keen to tell anyone entering the event that “this is beating cancer.” What they don’t share is the triple whammy of where the funds really go or don’t go, but then that might slow the gravy train and spoil the narrative.

Whammy number one is when you enter the Race for Life. You think ‘this is beating cancer’ because that is what Cancer Research UK have told you. What they don’t tell you, unless pressed, is that not a single penny of that entry fee supports research into cancer. It is all absorbed by sky high event costs. It is a lie by omission.

Whammy number two is when you purchase some Race for Life merchandise. You again think ‘this is beating cancer’ because that is the story Cancer Research UK are telling. And yet, CRUK’s own Annual Report tells us that no income from merchandising goes to research. Another lie by omission.

Whammy number three comes if and when you raise sponsorship for your Race for Life. You think ‘this is beating cancer’ because, again, that is what they tell you. But read that small print carefully; sponsorship does not go to research into cancer, it goes to Cancer Research UK, a subtle but important difference. Why? Because this means salaries, office costs, marketing, PR, and other costs come out of your fundraising before any finds it way to actual research.

How much finds it way to research? It is impossible to say. Entry fees and merchandise sales (along with other income streams) are not even included in the figures they use to calculate the percentage of their income which actually does go to research, artificially increasing the percentage they use.

We have asked on numerous occasions for clarification but, to date, have not received a reply.

So, when Cancer Research UK and the Race for Life tell you, ‘this is beating cancer’ take the statement with a large pinch of salt. None of the entry fee, none of the merchandising, and only an unclear percentage of sponsorship funds raised go to actual research into cancer. The rest? The gravy train has to be funded from somewhere. But they won’t tell you that.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

YET AGAIN CRUK ARE BEING DISINGENUOUS WITH THEIR FOLLOWERS

As we have regularly reported, Cancer Research UK and the Race for Life already have form for using the truth liberally, being disingenuous with followers and with omitting key details to mislead supporters. Now they are at it again.

We have exposed Cancer Research UK and the Race for Life over their use of deliberately misleading communications before.

Sometimes it has been lying by omission, for example by not letting people know that none of their Race for Life entry fee goes to support research.

Or when they cleverly tell people that all the funds raised go to Cancer Research UK; as we pointed out not the same thing as going to research into cancer.

Then there was the discovery that when they calculate how much of their income does go to research, they fiddle the figures by deliberately omitting numerous income streams including Race for Life entry fees, merchandising, high street stores, and more, thus significantly inflating the percentage figure they claim.

Now, yesterday (24th September), the CRUK Events East Twitter feed (@CRUKEventsEast) posted a series of tweets stating; “The money you raised from completing Race for Life events….this summer will go directly into life-saving research” (our italics).

Only it won’t. It will go to directly to Cancer Research UK from where a percentage will find its way towards funding research. But not before 3964 members of staff have been paid (219 of whom earn over £60,000 with the top five earners receiving over £1 million between them each year). Not before expensive offices are paid for. Not before glossy marketing and advertising campaigns are paid for, such as the ‘donate £2 a month’ TV campaign which requires 18000 annual subscribers just to pay their CEO.

“Directly into life-saving research.” Their words.

Dishonest or disingenuous? You decide.

Misleading and clearly incorrect? Definitely.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

CANCER RESEARCH UK’S MANY AND VARIED TALES ON THE CREATION OF THE RACE FOR LIFE DON”T HOLD WATER

Given Cancer Research UK continue to lie about Jim Cowan and their claim he did not create the Race for Life, even recently costing him a job offer, you would think they would offer an alternative as to where the event started, as to how it was created?

After all, they must have records of the discussions and the meetings which led to the event’s creation? And, given that, surely they paint a consistent story as to the events beginnings?

Well, no. They don’t.

But that is the problem with falsehoods, with lies, eventually you forget what you claimed and claim something else entirely, catching yourself out. And, of course, you have no evidence to support your fiction because it is just that, fiction. No records of discussions, of meetings, of correspondence. Because they don’t exist.

Interested in checking out Cancer Research UK’s false claims, Race 4 Truth carried out a little research which has exposed a story which, as such fictions do, keeps changing. There may be more and different claims, but in only one day’s digging, this is what we uncovered:

1994

In a letter from Jill MacRae, its then National Events Manager, what was then the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) credited Jim Cowan with coming to them with the original idea for the Race for Life. This was the last time they were honest about who created the event.

1995

After severing all ties to Jim Cowan, Jill MacRae started to claim she came up with the Race for Life herself. It would appear that ICRF/CRUK believed her. She went on to build a career on the false, probably fraudulent claim.

2000

In an article in the 19th July issue of Athletics Weekly, an ICRF spokesperson claimed that the Race for Life was based on, “a concept from America called Walk for a Cure.”

In the same issue of Athletics Weekly, a letter from Louise Holland, ICRF’s Race for Life Director, stated, “the concept was taken from the Susan Komen Foundation.”

2013

In November of 2013, Jill MacRae contacted Jim Cowan via Linked In and email threatening legal action if he did not stop claiming to have created the Race for Life. Supported by Jane Arnell, Tony Elischer, and Sarah Guthrie (former colleagues of hers at ICRF/CRUK), she claimed they were all “shocked” by Jim’s “misleading claims.” MacRae claimed to have never heard of Jim Cowan and asserted that her colleagues had not either. This 1994 letter from Jill MacRae to Jim Cowan puts the lie to that lie. (Over the months, we have shared more evidence that includes correspondence to and from Jill Macrae to support Jim’s position and debunks MacRae’s lies).

Also in November of 2013, Jill MacRae amended the Race for Life entry on Wikipedia to state; “Race for Life was created by fundraisers Jill MacRae (nee Baker) and Jane Arnell at what was then the Imperial CancerResearch Fund.” At Jim’s request, supported by evidence, Wikipedia amended the page to show the truth, that the creator of the Race for Life was him.

On 12th December, Jim Cowan responded to Jill MacRae’s threats stating; “To say that I am surprised at both your claims and you accusation would be an understatement. Your cynical duplicity in laying claim to the original idea is preposterous and your accusation that my own claims are untrue is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.”

Jim has not heard from MacRae, or her colleagues, since.

2016

Jim Cowan was advised that the website ‘Informed Edinburgh’ had carried an article titled ‘Spotlight on Jill MacRae’ in which she stated; “I created the Race for Life and organised the very first 5K event way back in 1993 (sic), when I was National Events Manager at what is now Cancer Research UK. The article was removed after Jim contacted the website advising them that, “Ms MacRae knows this not to be the case” providing evidence debunking her lie.

2017

In May 2017 , Nicki Ford from Cancer Research UK stated, “We do not publicly credit anyone with originating the event.”

In September 2017, Cancer Research UK’s Chairman, Prof. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, stated, “We do not credit anyone with originating the event.”

It would appear that, unable to prove any of the previous claims Cancer Research UK and, primarily, Jill MacRae had made about the creation of the event, the policy was now to simply shut up and claim nothing.

2018

Maybe she didn’t get the memo shared by Ford and Borysiewicz, or maybe it was just time to change the claim again, but in May this year, Cancer Research UK’s current National Events Manager, Annette Quarry, stated that the original pilot was from yet another different source, this time the American Cancer Society.

We now wait with baited breath for the next claim as to the creation of the Race for Life. There are two things we know for sure though:

  1. While CRUK’s story keeps changing, Jim Cowan’s has remained consistent throughout.
  2. While CRUK and their various employees (current and former) have offered no supporting evidence for any of their claims, Jim Cowan has. Race 4 Truth will continue sharing that evidence over the coming weeks and months.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

CANCER PLAYS DIRTY AND SO DO CANCER RESEARCH UK

Cancer Research UK has had a new strap line for its events over the summer; “Cancer Plays Dirty, So Do We”. And it’s a case of never a truer word spoken as we have exposed their support for fraud, lies, hypocrisy and more over recent months.

Where to start? It’s not as if it is only one or two instances of Cancer Research UK “playing dirty”. No, “playing dirty” is deeply ingrained in the culture, the very fabric of the organisation.

They “play dirty” when they refuse to recognise the man who created the Race for Life. Worse, not only have they consistently refused to give him the recognition due, they have made up a whole series of tales inventing different stories for the origins for the event. Misrepresentation at best.

They “play dirty” when they mislead those considering entering the Race for Life and other events by telling them “this is beating cancer” but not telling them that not a single penny of their entry fee funds any research at all. Worse, they exclude all income from those events, from merchandise, from high street stores, from the figure they cite for percentage of income funding research. Misleading at best.

They “play dirty” when they pay themselves huge salaries, all of which need to be paid before a single penny of funds raised go to research. Their top five earners being paid over £1 million between them and 219 earning over £60,000 a year. More corporate greed that charitable act.

They “play dirty” when they support the CV of former Head of Events Jill MacRae who falsely claimed to be the creator of the Race for Life, possibly supporting fraud given a CV is used in order to make financial gain.

They play dirty when they accept awards and recognition for themselves, when they give recognition and awards to their own yet hypocritically deny recognition to the man who created their biggest fundraising event.

They play dirty when they claim never to have heard of the man who created the Race for Life when a different charity asks about him to verify his CV thus costing him a job offer.

Yes Cancer Research UK, when you claim you ‘play dirty’ it may be the most (only?) honest claim you have made in months, if not years.

Unethical. hypocritical, dishonest, lacking transparency or integrity. Yes, Cancer Research UK definitely ‘play dirty’ – just not in the way they want you to think.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

CANCER RESEARCH UK DONATIONS SUPPORTING FAT CAT SALARIES

We have exposed the lack of transparency Cancer Research UK has when it comes to where your donations go on numerous occasions. We have exposed the creative exclusion  of certain income streams which give the impression that a higher percentage of funds raised support research than actually do. We exposed possible fraud, misinformation, hypocrisy, and more. Now, we turn our attention to how much of the money the public give to CRUK funds not research, but fat cat salaries. You may be surprised.

The Chief Executive’s salary alone (£240,000 + benefits) requires 18,000 people supporting CRUK’s “donate just £2 a month appeal” for twelve months each after ‘on-costs’ are applied.

Using that same calculation, how many people donating “just £2 per month” does it take to pay CRUK’s top earners?

Starting at the very top, CRUK’s top five earners receive over £1 million between them each year. Yes, you read that correctly. Over £1 million.

According to the 10 Percent Campaign, a further 219 CRUK employees earn over £60,000 per annum. This is up from 160 in 2013 and second only to Save The Children, and three times more than the next highest.

Let’s be kind to CRUK and assume that those 219 earn £60,000 and not more (as is likely), meaning our calculation will be on the low side. That is still a whopping £13,140,000 every year, without on costs.

Let’s add the top five earners £1 million and then calculate on costs to understand how much CRUK needs to raise just to fund these positions BEFORE it funds any other jobs, offices, marketing……..oh yes, and research.

The figure is a mind boggling £24,745,000. Yes, you read that correctly, nearly £25 million, and remember our calculation is on the LOW side. Paying that amount would require over 1 million people to donate “just £2 a month’ for the full year. One million. Just to pay their top salary earners.

And these 224 employees make up less than 6% of CRUK’s total workforce of 3964. Again, yes, you read that correctly. Nearly 4000 people need paying, 224 at mind boggling rates, before a single penny funds the research you thought you were supporting.

And then, the cost of making that “just £2 a month” commercial, CRUK’s other slick marketing, office costs, a legal team the size of which would make many corporates blush, and more, and much more, also come before any research is funded.

When you donate your hard earned money, it is worth considering what you are supporting. Is it research into cancer or a large, slick machine, which misleads, misrepresents, and which acts both hypocritically and unethically, lying about the origins of its own largest fundraising event (the Race for Life).

Is there an alternative? Yes. Choose a different charity which funds and supports research into cancer such as The Institute of Cancer Research, Worldwide Cancer Research, or World Cancer Research Fund

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

Notes:

Figures are for 2016 salaries.

On-costs calculated using www.icalculator.info

IF TAX AVOIDERS SHOULDN’T GET KNIGHTHOODS WHY NOT HYPOCRITES TOO?

Yesterday (1st September), The Times revealed* that the reason some celebrities may have missed out on knighthoods and other awards from the Queen could be to do with their tax affairs. But if tax avoidance is legal, so is hypocrisy. Why limit the awarding, or otherwise, to one type of questionable ethics and not any other?

Here at the Race 4 Truth, we have highlighted the hypocrisy of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Race for Life and those responsible for running them on numerous occasions.

One of those instances was highlighting the hypocrisy of their most recent CEO, Sir Harpal Kumar, in accepting a knighthood and recognition for himself while denying any recognition at all to the person who created the charity’s most successful fundraising event, the Race for Life.

We highlighted that CRUK regularly, and hypocritically, accept and bestow recognition for and to their own, while continuing their campaign of lies and misrepresentation about the creation of the event.

We then questioned that the Board of Trustees at CRUK has among its number three Knights and one Dame  while the hypocrisy towards recognition of Jim Cowan, the creator of the Race for Life, continues.

Of course, both tax avoidance and hypocrisy are legal so should either bar anyone from receiving an honour? We leave answering that question to others but ask why, if one form of legal but unethical behaviour leads to a bar, why not any other?

We can only hope that when CRUK’s new CEO, Michelle Mitchell (herself an OBE), starts work that the deeply embedded culture of hypocrisy in the charity will be ended and that Jim Cowan will, at last, receive the recognition he is long overdue to receive.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

*Because reading The Times article requires a subscription, for those of our readers who do not have one the story can be read in full on Sky News here.

CANCER RESEARCH UK KNOW THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THEIR FUNDRAISING PRACTICES

Here at the Race 4 Truth we have highlighted a number of concerns over the way Cancer Research UK deliberately misleads supporters, misrepresents facts, displays serious hypocrisy, and potentially supports fraud. We have gone as far as to question the culture of the organisation and its poor ethics and low integrity.

But, are all of the these issues something the organisation is not only fully aware of but is deliberate, planned policy?

We have been examining Cancer Research UK’s 2017-18 Annual Report and, in among many other concerns it raises, we have found a rather damning statement on page 42.

At the top of the page, Cancer Research UK cite a reputation risk; “an issue related to our fundraising practices.”

Some might find this a very strange thing to consider a risk to reputation if those fundraising practices were more transparent, honest, and ethical. Of course, conversely, if CRUK are aware that many of their policies sail very close to the wind raising questions of morals, ethics and integrity, then there is a very real risk to reputation.

Given everything we have discovered about how this organisation operates, the incredible thing is that there is still any degree of reputation intact. Yet they continue to pull the wool over the eyes of the British public and get away with it.

We find ourselves once again questioning the culture within Cancer Research UK, the organisation’s integrity, and its ethical and moral compass. For this single line buried deep in their annual report suggests that the many issues Race 4 Truth have already highlighted are embedded, deliberate policy; policy that the senior management know is immoral and unethical but which are deliberate and which they encourage and employ regardless.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.

CANCER RESEARCH UK MAKE RACE FOR LIFE ENTRY FEES INVISIBLE!

Quite reasonably, when most people enter the Race for Life they assume that their entry fee is helping fund research into cancer. After all Cancer Research UK frequently repeat the mantra “this is beating cancer” when promoting the events. But the truth is very different.

When you enter the Race for Life it would be a fair assumption that your entry fee, at least in part, helps fund the fight against cancer. The marketing for the event proudly proclaims, “this is beating cancer,” the event website carries no mention of where the fee does (or does not) go but does carry a link to a ‘where your money goes page’ which claims “you are helping to fund life-saving research.”

This is misleading at best. However, we prefer the word dishonest. Cancer Research UK choose their words carefully, not only the words included but those not. It is lying by omission. Why?

The fact is that, despite what the link suggests, not a single penny of your Race for Life entry fee funds research into cancer. It is entirely absorbed by the sky high costs of staging the event, over and above the corporate sponsorships and local authority support which also support its running. Your entry fee is not beating cancer as they disingenuously claim, it is funding the many jobs, the slick marketing, the wool being pulled over your eyes.

But when you read Cancer Research UK’s claim that over 80% of income funds research, perhaps you forgive them the deception?

Except, when they quote that 80% they are, again, being disingenuous, being economical with the truth. For a quick check on their most recent Annual Report tells us that not only does none of your entry fee fund research, that entry fee is also excluded from the income they use to calculate that 80% figure.

It gets worse. Did you but a T-shirt or other Race for Life merchandise in the hope that “this is beating cancer?” Guess what, income from merchandising isn’t included in the figure either. We can but wonder what else is excluded.

Incredibly, the economically truthful way they massage the figures is not illegal. But, certainly to us, it is disingenuous, deliberately misleading, downright dishonest, lacking in integrity, and wholly unethical. Not descriptions that should apply to any charity, and certainly not to one of the largest income generating vehicles in the sector!

We spoke to Jim Cowan, the man who created the Race for Life, but who Cancer Research UK hypocritically refuse to acknowledge and dishonestly claim not to have heard of.

We were curious as to whether this was the way the event has always been, the model under which he established it. His response was an emphatic “no.”

Jim told us that the original model guaranteed a percentage of the entry fee went to research. He added that 100% of the surplus from merchandise was earmarked for funding research. The event was open and transparent about where the money went.

This was before the fraud, the lies, the hypocrisy, and more kicked in and the Race for Life became more ‘income generator’ than fundraiser, creating invisible income ignored in their headline claims.

It is time Cancer Research UK did the right thing and recognised Jim Cowan for his incredible creation AND restored that creation to the honest, open, transparent event it was when he created it.

In the Race 4 Truth, Cancer Research UK are lagging behind.