Charity and Voluntary Sector

CRUKCancer Research UK’s chief executive Harpal Kumar has spoken of a ‘golden era’ for cancer research as the UK is poised to lead the world in individualising the practice of medicine by understanding which treatments are best suited to an individual patient’s particular genetic type of cancer.

New discoveries are already producing personalised treatments that promise to be more targeted than conventional medicine, he told the annual National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) conference in London. 

CRUK is launching a programme in the UK to show how cancer gene tests can be carried out systematically within the NHS to help clinicians choose the best treatment for their patients and, in turn, influence research.
Press release & links
 
HMRCHM Revenue & Customs has pledged £2m a year for the next 4 years to support people needing help with their taxes, benefits and tax credits. The department has awarded 17 grants to 10 Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) organisations working across the UK.
 
Part of the funding goes to new ways of providing support - for example, a project piloting video link-ups from a number of locations throughout England to the charity TaxAid’s specialist advisers.  Funding also goes to VCS training – for example, Gingerbread will deliver training courses in Tax Credits for advisers working with lone parents.
Press release & links
 
AUK: One in five women nearing retirement age falsely believes they will receive a state pension when they reach 60, new research shows. According to Age UK, many older women are unaware of changes to the state pension age made in 1995.
 
The charity carried out a study which revealed that 21% of women aged between 50 & 53 do not realise they will only be eligible for a state pension when they reach 65.  It warned that the state pension age could be pushed back even further depending on changes proposed in the Pensions Bill.
Press release & links
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