In a world first, BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management, sponsors of The Boat Races, today announce they are donating their title sponsorship of the annual challenge between Oxford and Cambridge Universities to Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the official charity partner.

The event will now be known as The Cancer Research UK Boat Races with a new identity that will incorporate the famous Dark Blue of Oxford and Light Blue of Cambridge with the charity’s distinctive magenta and blue. The campaign will see Cancer Research UK receive substantial exposure throughout the Races, which will take place on the Championship Course on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake on 27th March.

BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management will work together with Cancer Research UK to support their fundraising activities in the build up to The Boat Races and will also be implementing their own initiatives with all fundraising in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Curtis Arledge, Vice Chairman of BNY Mellon and CEO of Investment Management, commented: “We are committed to ensuring our sponsorship of The Boat Races reflects our focus on meaningful investments, especially when we can leverage our sponsorship to further effect change. We are proud to be working with Cancer Research UK, whose work touches the lives of so many.

“We have the opportunity to be a sponsorship partner that genuinely changes people’s lives for the better through sport. Just as the four crews from Oxford and Cambridge will pull together to battle for glory on the water, BNY Mellon, Newton Investment Management and Cancer Research UK are pulling together to fight cancer.”

Helena Morrissey, Chief Executive Officer of Newton Investment Management, added: “We are delighted to be trailblazing a whole new model for corporate sponsorship. The role of business in society is clear: in addition to performing well for customers and shareholders, we can and must use our resources to help solve difficult problems. We hope this news encourages other companies around the world to follow suit and that together, we can make a genuine difference.”

David Searle, Executive Director of The Boat Race Company Ltd said: “In BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management we knew we had sponsors who would do something out of the ordinary. After making history with the introduction of The Women’s Boat Race to the Tideway in 2015, this amazing gesture is breaking new ground in sponsorship. We are very grateful to BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management for this move and for their commitment to support their gesture by helping to raise significant sums of money for Cancer Research UK through the various events they are developing with us and the team at CRUK.”

Sir Harpal S. Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We are enormously grateful to BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management for their generous donation. Cancer Research UK’s work has fuelled the progress that has seen cancer survival rates double in the last 40 years. Today, two in four people survive cancer. Our ambition is to accelerate progress so that three in four people survive cancer by 2034 and this donation is a very welcome contribution to that aim.”

Sean Bowden, Head Coach at the OUBC, said: “The OUBC is very excited to see Cancer Research UK come on board as the title sponsor of the Boat Race. The Boat Race has its own history of loss to Cancer with Daniel Topolski and Harry Mahon amongst others still in both club’s hearts. Joining forces with Cancer Research UK to help beat cancer sooner is something that the OUBC is very proud to be doing and we look forward to a rewarding partnership in the years ahead.”

Henry Hoffstot, President of the CUBC, said: “On behalf of the Cambridge University Boat Club, I can say that we are all very excited that BNY Mellon and Newton Investment management have generously donated their sponsorship rights to Cancer Research UK. To have the opportunity to row in The Cancer Research UK Boat Races and support a charitable institution of such calibre is a privilege for all of us.”

Maddy Baddcott, President of the OUWBC, said: “We at the Oxford University Women’s Boat Club are very excited about the donation from BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management and the new partnership between Cancer Research UK and The Boat Races; it is fantastic for our team to be linked with an organisation whose groundbreaking medical research benefits millions of people across the world who have been affected by cancer. We hope that this new connection with The Boat Races will inspire members of the public to support Cancer Research UK, an organisation which supports the tireless work of so many to further our understanding of the disease and work towards the development of new treatments for it.”

Cath Bishop, Chair pf the CUWBC, said: “[As Chair of Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club, I know] we are all really excited to be working closely alongside Newton Investment Management and Cancer Research UK as our Boat Race partners. Both organisations are dedicated to excellence, and Cancer Research UK is a cause close to all our hearts, so we are delighted that BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management have decided to make their partnership with Cancer Research UK as close as it could be by donating the title rights to them. We will be proud to race with Cancer Research UK on our vests alongside the continuing fantastic support of BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management who enabled equality to come to The Boat Races in 2015. Cancer Research UK’s approach to scientific progress and medical breakthroughs is an inspiration to us – we are proud to be supported by them and hope that.”

Earlier this month, Cancer Research UK launched The Great Row – a new fitness challenge, which is completed on indoor rowing machines and encourages the nation to dust off their trainers and take part to help beat cancer sooner. To take part in The Great Row, individuals and teams can choose from different challenge levels; with rowing distances starting from 2,000 metres, going up to a full marathon. Participants can train for free at Fitness First gyms every Friday throughout January, February and March, with The Great Row’s official fitness partner welcoming participants every day from 19th – 26th March to complete their challenge ahead of the official races.

The Cancer Research UK Boat Races will take place on Sunday 27th March 2016. The Cancer Research UK Women’s Boat Race will take place at 3.10pm GMT and The Cancer Research UK Boat Race at 4.10pm GMT.