# Medical research charities risk losing over a third of fundraising income in 2020

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/10/28/medical-research-charities-risk-losing-over-third-fundraising-income-2020/
- Published: 2020-10-28T09:09:19+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Medical research charities could lose almost 38% of their fundraising income this
year, and over 25% next year, according to research by the Institute for Public 
Policy Research (IPPR).**

 

Restrictions on fundraising events, charity shop closures and wider economic uncertainty
are all contributing to these losses, the think tank found.

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In a [new report](https://www.ippr.org/files/2020-10/research-at-risk-oct20.pdf),
IPPR estimates that this lost charity income and the adverse economic conditions
will cause a cumulative £7.8 billion shortfall in health research and development(
R&D) investment between now and 2027 – equal to 10% of UK health R&D.

 

This breaks down as:

 

• Up to £4.1 billion less investment in health R&D by medical research charities,
due to lost charitable income.

 

• Up to £3.8 billion less investment from the private sector in UK health R&D, due
to the above reduction in charitable investment and adverse economic conditions.

 

IPPR estimates that of the £3.8 billion reduction in private sector investment, 
£1.3 billion is attributable to reduced charity sector spend.

 

These figures constitute a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ according to the think
tank. However, even in the best-case scenario, the study predicts £4.5 billion less
R&D investment – £2 billion of which is attributable to lost charity income.

 

The [British Heart Foundation](https://www.bhf.org.uk/) and Cancer Research UK were
among the contributors to the research. BHF Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths,
said:

 

> “To overlook the scale of research funded by charities at this critical time would
> put life saving discoveries at risk, threaten our economic recovery and jeopardise
> the Government’s ambition to make the UK a global ‘science superpower’.
> “Charities have driven significant breakthroughs which have turned the tide on
> some of our biggest killers including heart disease and cancer. But without Government
> commitment to a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund, charities will be forced
> to make devastating cuts to their research which will be hugely damaging for patients
> and UK science. At the BHF we have already halved our research investment from
> £100m to £50m this year.
> “Science has taken centre stage this year and the vital role of research has never
> been clearer. Keeping our scientific edge is essential to ensuring the UK economy
> gets back on track and enabling breakthroughs that save and improve lives.”