Hello and welcome to the November edition of the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) newsletter. Thank you for being part of our community as we work together to bring world-leading cancer research and clinical care closer together under one roof. Over the past few months, we have reached several important milestones, and I’m pleased to share the latest progress with you.
The completion of our new hoardings is perhaps the most visible recent development, giving CCRH a strong presence on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Featuring patients, staff and partners who are helping to shape the future hospital, the hoardings share the story of collaboration at the heart of CCRH and signal progress as we move closer to construction starting in 2027. A huge thank you to everyone who appears on the hoardings and to all of you whose work and support may not be pictured, but is every bit as important to making CCRH a reality.
Preparatory work is continuing on site ahead of construction, while our transformation programme continues. This includes ongoing work with staff, patients and partners to develop future clinical pathways and improve cancer services. It was a pleasure to welcome patients and members of the public to our Patient and Public Involvement afternoon in September and celebrate the invaluable contribution they make to the programme. Their insight continues to shape both the design of the hospital and the care it will provide.
We are also working closely with our commissioners and the East of England Cancer Alliance as we prepare to submit our Full Business Case (FBC) in January. This is the final stage of the business case process and is intended to secure final approval and unlock the government funding needed to begin construction. Reaching this stage is a significant achievement and would not be possible without the dedication, expertise and hard work of colleagues across the programme.
Alongside government funding for construction, philanthropy will be vital to helping us realise the full ambition for CCRH. Thank you to everyone supporting our fundraising efforts – we were delighted that this year's Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival raised an incredible £52,500, thanks to 43 teams, hundreds of supporters and volunteers, and our own CCRH team who took to the water. We are grateful to the ALBORADA Trust for its recent generous £1 million gift to support the development of the hospital. As fundraising continues, I'd encourage anyone looking for their next challenge to sign up for the Cambridge Half Marathon 2027 and help us change the story of cancer. You can find out more about supporting CCRH through philanthropy and fundraising on our website.
As always, my sincere thanks go to everyone involved in the project, including our staff, patients, partners, supporters and fundraisers. It is an exciting time for CCRH, and with each milestone we move closer to creating a hospital that will transform cancer care, accelerate research and improve outcomes for patients across our region and beyond.
Dr Hugo Ford
Clinical Lead for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital
Newly designed hoardings have been installed around the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital site, marking a visible milestone for the programme ahead of construction. 
