The Ruth Strauss Foundation will merge into the cancer charity Maggie’s from June, with the aim of expanding the reach and breadth of their support.
The charities said they already worked in close partnership, as well as sharing similar values, legacies and ambitions to help people with cancer and their families.
The foundation was established in 2019 by the former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss in memory of his wife Ruth, who died in 2018 from incurable non-smoking lung cancer.
It supports families where a parent is living with incurable cancer and helps them navigate difficult conversations with their children.
The foundation will join forces with the 30-year-old charity Maggie’s, which provides free practical and emotional support for people affected by cancer at 27 centres at NHS hospitals across the UK
Maggie’s aims to be at every major cancer hospital in the UK and is set to have more than 30 centres by the end of 2026, with centres under construction in Cambridge and Liverpool and plans for premises in Coventry, Kent and Bristol.
Third Sector understands that Maggie’s will retain its branding and its offices in London and Glasgow, as well as its support centres.
Maggie’s said that by combining the resources and expertise of both organisations, they could expand the breadth of support provided to help thousands more people.
Maggie’s said it recorded an annual income of about £33.9m during 2025, while the RSF recorded an income of £2.3m according to its latest accounts, for the year to the end of March 2025.
Maggie’s latest information on the Scottish charity register shows an average staff count of 331, while the RSF’s accounts show it had an average of 16 employees in the 2024/25 financial year.
The RSF staff went through a consultation and were offered the opportunity to transfer to Maggie’s under TUPE, Third Sector understands.
Staff from the foundation will begin transferring to Maggie’s from June, but numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Major RSF events such as Red for Ruth, which takes place at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on 5 June, will continue as normal.
Dame Laura Lee will remain chief executive of Maggie’s, while the charity is yet to confirm what will happen to the RSF’s chief, Ines Thiru, or what the structure of the merged charity’s board will be.
Andrew Strauss will become an honorary patron of Maggie’s.
Lee said: “The Ruth Strauss Foundation has provided much-needed care and support to thousands of families facing cancer over the last seven years – staff should be incredibly proud of all they have achieved.
“Their important work will continue as they become part of Maggie’s – we will prioritise their vital support for families and work closely with staff to ensure that Ruth’s legacy lives on through the work that we do.
Thiru said: “I am incredibly proud of what our team has achieved in just seven years. Together, we have built something truly meaningful that is making a real difference to families navigating the most difficult of circumstances, and those affected by non-smoking lung cancer.
“As we look ahead, we are excited to build on these strong foundations under Maggie’s, together building a cohesive, integrated and holistic network of care.”