About Us
We want to take a moment to thank everyone around the world who supports Climbers Against Cancer. Whether you’re a competition climber, mountaineer, recreational climber, newcomer to the sport, or a family member or friend, your support has been instrumental in raising awareness for our cause globally.
By proudly wearing our brightly coloured t-shirts, hoodies, and merchandise, you’re helping to spread a powerful message of positivity, resilience, and unity in the fight against a disease that affects so many lives, both directly and indirectly.
John's Story
Climbers Against Cancer is a non-profit organisation, set up by John Ellison, a well-known and loved climber who was diagnosed with cancer back in 2011. John sadly lost his fight in 2015. You can read his story by clicking below.
Who Do We Fund?
Climbers Against Cancer is here to provide an accessible platform for the climbing community to collectively raise money for research into cancer and therapeutic initiatives for those living with or beyond cancer.
We are committed to funding cancer research facilities and therapeutic projects around the world that provide positive impact to those living with or after cancer.
We provide lump sum donations to fund several research centres and projects across the globe every year. To find out more about the grants we’ve made, click the link below.
How Do We Raise Money?
At Climbers Against Cancer, we raise funds to make several lump sum donations to research centres and therapeutic initiatives around the world each year.
We have a number of partner and supporter companies that donate money to Climbers Against Cancer, specifically to keep the charity running. This includes the salary of our one part-time member of staff, renting premises, the electricity bill etc.
Supporters set up fundraisers to take on challenges in climbing and other sporting endeavours! Climbing walls across the globe also support us by setting up charity events or competitions and donating the proceeds.
Our annual Everest challenge encourages our community to climb, run, walk or cycle the equivalent height of the mountain, either individually or as a team, to raise funds and show support.
100% of the money raised in this way, and profits from the sale of our brightly coloured t-shirts and other merchandise, goes to research centres and therapeutic initiatives.
We are truly grateful for all the incredible support from the climbing community. We couldn’t do it without you!
The CAC Team
Dominic Oughton
Trustee
Dominic Oughton has been climbing for around 40 years and lists El Cap, Gogarth and Hobson Moor Quarry amongst his favourite crags. He’s been involved in fundraising for CAC for a number of years including a sponsored “Mile Climb” and a couple of charity calendars in association with the Rucksack Club (of which he is a member). He’s also President of the British Mountaineering Club (BMC). You’ll find more info on his blog Rock Around The World.
Sheila McCarron
Trustee
Scottish-born climbing mum/amateur photographer Sheila has lived in France most of her adult life, meeting CAC founder John Ellison at the World Championships in Paris in 2015. He enlisted her help to communicate with the French climbing community and she has acted as ambassador for CAC there ever since.
In her trustee role, she hopes to ensure the international aspect of the charity is represented on the board.
She has also founded CAC Europe, a French non-profit and ‘sister charity’ to facilitate sales of merchandise to our European supporters and enlist partners on that continent.
Andy Dodd
Trustee
Andy is usually found in ultra-distance cycling events, but with an interest in many sports Andy manages to keep a finger hold on climbing.
Living in a van he will often rock up at walls across the UK just to use the showers, but usually coinciding with competitions in order to raise money and awareness of CAC. The response from the climbing community over the past 5 years of volunteering has urged Andy to step up and commit more time, resource and support with the direction and future of Climbers Against Cancer.
Sue Grimshaw
Trustee
An all round sports person with a love of winter sports. She is an animal lover and owner of horses, sheep and dogs.
She played a major role in particular when the charity started out, and for 10 years it was Sue’s company that embroidered all the hoodies! She also helped John with the initial purchase of the t-shirts that were to become the base on which CAC was built. For many years our distribution centre was based within Sue’s business premises and her help has been crucial for our ongoing development and progression.
Sue will remain with the charity as an independent director of the trading company.
Lynn Robinson
Trustee
Lynn has recently retired after working for the NHS for over 35 years. She trained as a Nurse and then Social Worker. She has worked in Health Promotion, Public Health and wide ranging NHS management positions, latterly working on the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Lynn combined her paid work with extensive voluntary work, mainly volunteering with various health charities abroad and in the UK with the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). In 2018 she was elected as the first female President of the BMC.
She is very much looking forward to being a Trustee volunteer with CAC, a charity she has supported for many years. Lynn regularly mountaineers, hill-walks and climbs, across the UK. She regularly indoor climbs, taking part in local bouldering competitions. On a wider scale she has mountaineered around the world, including Nepal, Ecuador, Egypt, Africa, Caucasus, North and South America and The Alps. Highlights include trad rock new routing and exploration in Sinai, big walling in Yosemite and completing both the Cuillin Ridge traverse and Lake District four 3,000’ peaks in under 24-hours.
Do you want in?
We’re always looking for passionate volunteers! Whether you lend a hand at events, help spread the word, or support behind the scenes, every contribution makes a difference. Join us and be part of something bigger!
