Robin's Reflections – December 2025
December 15, 2025
2025 in review: A year of progress and hope
As I reflect on 2025, my heart swells with thankfulness and pride for a truly remarkable year. This has been a year of connection, growth, and collective action.
The unwavering commitment and energy of the ovarian cancer community, our partners and generous supporters, continues to propel us forward, powering our team to create the change that is so urgently needed.
As we reflect on all we’ve achieved as an organisation in our 25th milestone year, I can see tangible progress along the ambitious course the OCRF has set for the future.
Celebrating 25 years of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation
Throughout the year, we commemorated the OCRF’s 25th anniversary – an important opportunity to honour the founders, community members and staff who’ve shaped the OCRF’s journey over a quarter of a century. What began as a bold idea and tiny operation in 2000, is now Australia’s leading independent funder of ovarian cancer research. Imagine that!
Our Silver Anniversary Gala in August was an incredible celebration of everything we’ve built together, a night filled with stories of courage and a powerful sense of unity for the road ahead. Surrounded by long-time donors, leaders, researchers, families and advocates, we reflected not just on the achievements of the past 25 years, but on the brighter future we are creating together. It was a memorable occasion by every measure, and those teal lights on AAMI Park Stadium made it sparkle too!
Amplifying our research impact
Throughout the year, we pushed forward, launching our refreshed five-year organisational strategy and awesome new brand identity, setting ambitious goals to achieve our 2030 vision. In March, thanks to you, we announced the largest funding round in our history, awarding $3.5M across eight research projects – wow!
In October we launched the new Research Impact Strategy, an invaluable roadmap of priorities and programs which was guided by input from over 420 stakeholders, including people with lived experience. It was an honour to launch this strategy at Australian Parliament House with our terrific Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Rebecca White MP, alongside Senators and MPs from Labor, Liberal and independent parties. Together with a strike-force of OCRF ambassadors, we ensured our message for critical investment in medical research resounded with the decision-makers closest to the heart of government.
Stellar campaign results
From the phenomenal success - and major donation! - from the Mother’s Day Classic in May, to the treks, marathons and morning teas, you really went the extra mile this year, raising a record level of funds for medical research. In October, Frocktober once again took centre stage. It’s such a positive, colourful, captivating campaign and it continues to capture hearts and turn heads nationwide – and overseas! This year we licensed Frocktober to Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand (OCFNZ) and I’m proud to report this powerhouse organisation raised $144k in their first year of the campaign!
From floral frocks to tutus and statement socks, Frockers and friends across Australia frocked up in all their creative glory, sparking conversations and raised over $980,000 for research here, too. Just the best!
Our enduring partnership with Witchery continued in its 17th year, with Margie Woods of Viktoria & Woods designing the shirt for this year’s Witchery White Shirt Campaign. Over 30 celebrity ambassadors fronted the campaign, along with our own stars - OCRF ambassadors and funded researchers. The final tally is now official, and we’re thrilled to share that this year’s campaign raised $843,702, bringing the lifetime total of the campaign to nearly $18 million. Truly iconic! We are so grateful for our exceptional relationship with the beautiful Witchery team
Amplifying and collaboration
We also strengthened connections, acted and advocated for more, better, faster, both nationally and internationally through the Gynaecological Cancer Transformation Initiative (GCTI) and the Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium (GOCRC). Both initiatives are incredibly rewarding, and we will have more news to share on that front early in the new year, when we announce the recipient of the inaugural AI Accelerator Grant from the GOCRC.
Thank you and forward momentum To all of you who share our burning desire to accelerate change, and to our hard-working and talented staff - thank you. Your belief and dedication have helped transform hope into action, and action into impact. Together, we are moving closer to a world in which early detection of ovarian cancer is a reality, personalised treatment is standard, and where survival is the expectation, not the exception.
As we look to 2026 with a fire in our belly – and, as ever, optimism - we carry the lessons of this year with us: that collaboration breeds innovation, building community catalyses change, and hope, when shared, is unstoppable:
“You may try to cut down our flowers, but you can’t stop spring from coming.”
Warm best wishes to you and yours for the holiday season!
A healthy, kind, safe, and peaceful New Year to all.
Robin Penty
CEO
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