Charities Partner For Cancer Deadline Day Campaign

Eight cancer charities have come together to launch Cancer Deadline Day – a new campaign building up to football’s transfer deadline day which will see funds raised for the various organisations.

Ahead of the final day of football’s transfer period on 1st February, Cancer Deadline Day is calling on all fans, players, clubs and legends of the game to make a donation in aid charities tackling the disease. Donations to the campaign will be split between Breast Cancer Now, CLIC Sargent, Macmillan Cancer Support, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, The Ruth Strauss Foundation, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Teenage Cancer Trust.

According to the charities, COVID-19 has had a direct impact on people living with cancer, as well as on fundraising for charities that support them. 

New research by Macmillan Cancer Support estimates there are 50,000 ‘missing diagnoses’ for cancer across the UK, because of the disruption caused by the pandemic, with at least 33,000 fewer people across the UK started treatment in 2020, compared to 2019. According to the charity, the backlog of undiagnosed cancer could take 18 months to tackle in England alone.

Paul Brown, Director, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Teenagers and young people with cancer have been hit really hard by the pandemic. Many have been shielding and unable to see their friends and are concerned that their treatment could be disrupted. Others fear catching the virus while their immune system is lowered, and some have had to face hospital visits and stays without loved ones due to infection control measures. They need help from our specialist nurses and support teams more than ever, but coronavirus has had a severe impact on Teenage Cancer Trust’s income, slashing it by a third; a shortfall of around £6m a year. 

“At this difficult time every penny really does count, so please get involved and make a transfer for cancer!”

UK agency Good Sport is working with the charities on the campaign, which will urge football fans across the country to compete to get their club to the top of the giving table by raising the most amount of money by the end of deadline day. 

Club-specific donation pages, powered by JustGiving, have been set up and will be promoted across digital channels.