When CARES Charity was founded in 2016, its mission was simple: to help detect cancer earlier and give more local people the best possible chance of successful treatment.

Ten years on, CARES has helped make that vision a reality. The charity has donated more than £300,000 towards vital diagnostic equipment, with its support benefiting more than 150,000 endoscopy procedures across East Lancashire.

As CARES celebrates its 10th anniversary, founder John Banaszkiewicz reflects on how his own experience of cancer inspired the charity, while Labels for CARES co-founder Anthony Fairclough looks back on how an innovative retail venture helped transform its fundraising.

"When we started CARES, we knew early diagnosis could save lives," said John. "We wanted to do something practical that would make a real difference for people in our local community.

CARES Charity is celebrating 10 years of supporting earlier cancer diagnosis across East Lancashire, with hundreds of thousands invested in vital equipment.

placeholder image — CARES Charity is celebrating 10 years of supporting earlier cancer diagnosis across East Lancashire, with hundreds of thousands invested in vital equipment.

"Our aim was to support the NHS by helping provide the very best diagnostic equipment, giving local people access to technology that could detect cancer at the earliest possible stage."

The charity's first major fundraiser, the CARES Fun Run in 2017, raised more than £2,000 and demonstrated the generosity of local people keen to get behind the cause.

Over the following few years, CARES organised trolley dashes, community fundraising events and received support from countless businesses and individuals. While every donation was invaluable, those involved with the charity soon realised they needed a more sustainable way of generating income if they were to achieve their long-term ambitions.

That breakthrough came in 2020 with the launch of Labels for CARES.

CARES founder John Banaszkiewicz (far left) and Labels for CARES co-founder Anthony Fairclough (far right) reflect on a decade of improving cancer care across East Lancashire.

Co-founded by Anthony Fairclough and Dominic Banaszkiewicz, the venture created a sustainable source of funding that would help take the charity to another level. Dominic, who died earlier this year, played a pivotal role in establishing the concept and his contribution continues to be felt across the charity.

Working alongside Burnley Council and Boohoo Group, Labels for CARES opened an innovative retail store selling brand-new fashion from leading brands at discounts of up to 70%, with every penny of profit supporting CARES' work.

"The launch of Labels for CARES completely changed what we were able to achieve," said Anthony. "It gave us a consistent source of income that allowed us to think much bigger and plan for the future."

The success of the concept has seen the retail operation continue to grow, with concession stores now operating at Boundary Mill, Wellsprings and Royal Blackburn Hospital. A further major store is also set to open in Clitheroe town centre.

Alongside its retail success, CARES has continued to bring the community together through a programme of fundraising events, including Ladies' Days, sporting dinners, casino nights and an ABBA tribute concert.

Together, those events and the proceeds from Labels for CARES have enabled the charity to donate more than £300,000 towards three state-of-the-art endoscopy machines for local hospitals.

Today, those machines have been used in more than 150,000 endoscopy procedures across East Lancashire, helping clinicians detect cancer and other serious conditions earlier, when treatment is often most successful.

For Anthony, that remains the charity's proudest achievement.

"Every pound people have donated, every purchase they've made in one of our stores and every event they've supported has contributed towards improving patient care. That's something everyone involved with CARES can be incredibly proud of."

The charity's work has also extended beyond funding equipment.

After listening to feedback from patients attending Burnley General Hospital, CARES recognised the need to improve the endoscopy reception and waiting area, where many people were left standing – or even sitting on the floor – while waiting for appointments.

The charity is now funding a refurbishment of the area to create a more welcoming, comfortable and reassuring environment for patients and their families.

Looking ahead, Anthony believes the charity's greatest strength continues to be the community that has supported it from the very beginning.

"We simply couldn't have achieved any of this without our volunteers, supporters, business partners and customers," he said. "They have believed in what we're trying to do from day one and continue to make it possible.

"Cancer hasn't stopped. Neither will we.

"We're incredibly proud of everything we've achieved over the last 10 years, but there's still so much more we want to do. We're looking forward to helping even more people over the next decade."