More than half of women in the UK say they know little or nothing about womb cancer
In research carried out by nfpResearch on behalf of Peaches Womb Cancer Trust as part of our Small Charity Research Award 2025, 55% of women said they knew nothing or almost nothing about the condition. It is a striking finding and a reminder of the challenges many charities continue to face when trying to build public awareness around health issues that can have a significant impact on people’s lives.
Research and insight can play an important role in helping charities understand where knowledge gaps exist and where messaging can have the greatest impact. For smaller organisations in particular, access to robust research is not always easy. Yet these organisations are often closest to the issues and communities they serve.
That thinking sits behind our Small Charity Research Award programme. Launched in 2022, the initiative is designed to help small charities access insights into public perceptions of their work, issues and communications. The programme aims to support organisations that may not always have the same access to research resources as larger charities.
Performance-enhancing insights
Our research with Peaches Womb Cancer Trust uncovered a number of important misconceptions and barriers that may affect awareness and help-seeking behaviour.
One notable finding was that 51% of women incorrectly believed that womb cancer can be identified through cervical screening. The finding suggests that there may be confusion around what cervical screening does and does not detect.
The research also identified barriers that may prevent women from seeking help or treatment when experiencing unusual gynaecological symptoms. Almost half (49%) reported difficulty getting a GP appointment as a barrier. Meanwhile 45% said they would wait for symptoms to resolve on their own before seeking help.
Other concerns centred around confidence in interactions with healthcare professionals. Nearly three in ten women, 29%, worried about not being taken seriously by healthcare professionals and 25% worried about wasting a doctor’s time.
Taken together, these findings highlight how awareness challenges are not always simply about knowledge. Practical barriers, confidence and perceptions around healthcare access can all shape whether people seek support.
These insights have already helped inform Peaches Womb Cancer Trust’s ongoing work around Womb Cancer Awareness Month. They also have wider implications for early detection and treatment, given that womb cancer is highly treatable when identified early.
In addition, perceived difficulty getting a GP appointment was more pronounced among older women and women from lower income households. This points towards broader patterns of inequality in healthcare experiences and outcomes.
Supporting smaller charities with insight
Peaches Womb Cancer Trust was one of nine organisations selected through our second round of Small Charity Research Awards, from more than 85 applications. The programme supports smaller charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs) with access to research and insight that may otherwise be difficult to obtain. Given that charities with an income below £1 million make up 96% of the sector, smaller organisations play a vital role in supporting communities and addressing issues that might otherwise receive less attention.
Small charities deserve to be heard
The charity sector relies on organisations of all sizes, but small charities often play a particularly important role. Their close proximity to communities and issues means they frequently identify needs and respond in highly specialised ways.
Many causes that historically had limited access to resources continue to be represented primarily by smaller organisations today. This includes queer, anti-racist and feminist causes that emerged from grassroots activism, alongside areas that have historically received less attention or visibility.
In Peaches’ case, that includes work focused on gynaecological cancer awareness, patient support and research. These issues matter deeply to the people affected by them, even if they have not always received the same profile or level of resourcing as larger causes.
Small charities and their causes are no less important than larger, more established organisations. They deserve to be heard and supported in understanding the audiences they serve.
Our Small Charity Research Award is designed with that principle in mind: strong research can help charities identify misconceptions, understand barriers and build stronger communications rooted in evidence.
Because if there is one thing we continue to learn through this work, it is that small charities often carry very big messages.
If you'd like to talk about research with the public, please email Bee: Bijal.Rama@nfpresearch.com.