Who we are and what we do

What is Anthony Nolan?

Anthony Nolan is the charity that makes lifesaving connections between people with blood cancer and incredible strangers ready to donate their stem cells. We’re saving lives right now. Three lives a day, in fact.

By growing the stem cell register, carrying out ground breaking research and providing the best post-transplant care, we’re giving families a future.

But we can’t do it without you. Without you, there is no cure.

How can I help Anthony Nolan save more lives?

  • If you’re aged 16–30, join our register, and become a potential lifesaver
  • Give money or raise money to help fund our vital work from adding new donors to the register to enabling further research.
  • Volunteer your time to help raise awareness, support patients and donors, or even deliver the lifesaving cells

Give money or raise money

Is Anthony Nolan a charity?

Yes, we’re an independent charity. We rely on financial support from people and companies.

Our charity number is 803716 in England and Wales and 38827 in Scotland.

What does Anthony Nolan spend their funds on?

We carefully invest in our work to maximise the benefit for our patients. This includes growing the stem cell register with the best possible donors, as well as funding and providing specialised services to support patients throughout their transplant journey. Read more about where your money goes here.

We also conduct pioneering research into the treatment of blood cancers and disorders and improving the effectiveness of stem cell transplants.

Why do people need stem cell transplants?

A stem cell transplant can cure or improve the outcome for someone with blood cancer or blood disorder. In short, it can save their life.

When a person has a blood cancer or blood disorder, their blood cells have stopped working in their normal way. That means they can’t do vital things like fight infection or carry oxygen.

A transplant of blood stem cells from a healthy person can replace and repair these damaged cells – and hopefully cure their disease.

Blood stem cells are new, primitive blood cells made in the bone marrow, found in the centre of our large bones.