Robin’s Reflections – July 2026
July 07, 2026
Catching the wind
It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the year! It’s been a huge six months at the OCRF: there’s so much happening on every front. It really feels like we have caught a strong wind – things are moving fast.
As I write this in the first days of the new financial year, we’re still buzzing from the outstanding success of our End of Financial Year campaign. Inspired by the story of Karyn and Tom Stamp and their beautiful family, and a brilliant research project led by Dr Gwo-Yaw Ho at Monash University, thousands of people across the country gave generously to raise an incredible amount of money for medical research – it was a splendid success! More than a third of our 2026 EOFY donors are new to the OCRF, highlighting growing recognition that ovarian cancer has been left behind, and the only way to catch up is to support more research, and faster.
On behalf of the OCRF and the ovarian cancer community past, present and future – thank you to every person who donated, for seeing the need, for trusting us and for investing in improved health and survival for women and girls. We take this trust and belief seriously and have big plans for what these funds will make possible.
Pictured: Calling some of our incredible donors that supported OCRF during our End of Financial Year Appeal.
And there is so much potential! A couple of weeks ago, we closed applications for our 2027 National Research Grants program. We received a record number of proposals, totalling more than $25 million. This is both exciting and, to be honest, frustrating. Thanks to our supporters, we will fund the best of the best of these research projects, but we can’t fund them all. Some promising projects will go unfunded or placed on the back burner for another year.
That’s also why we are relentlessly continuing our advocacy with the Government for more research funding - and soon. We know that many in our community shared our disappointment that the Gynaecological Cancer Transformation Initiative (GCTI) was not funded in the May Budget, despite a watertight business case and strong commitment from many quarters.
I want to assure you that our efforts continue unabated and we have confidence that we’re getting closer to a positive outcome. There is recognition from politicians of every stripe that investment in ovarian and other gynaecological cancers is long overdue and urgent. Along with our colleagues from OCA, ANZGOG, and staunch community advocates, we will maintain and build the pressure for as long as it takes.
Welcome two new OCRF board directors
As we head into the second half of the year, I’m delighted to welcome two new faces to the OCRF Board. Craig Zanker joins as a non-executive Director and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee (FRAC) and Adejoke (Ade) Adeleke as Board Observer. Craig knows the impact of ovarian cancer first-hand, having lost his mother in 2018, and both he and Ade bring exceptional expertise and experience in governance, management and finance. I have no doubt they will bring enormous value to our rapidly growing organisation, and we are thrilled to welcome them both.
The role of Chair of the OCRF FRAC was vacated earlier this year following the retirement of Philip Herbert after eight years of service. It’s hard to overstate Philip’s contribution to the OCRF over that time. He brought exceptional professional skills in financial management, safely guiding us through significant change during the COVID-19 pandemic, always reinforced by a deep belief in our work, having lost his beloved wife Mandy to ovarian cancer in 2017. We are very grateful for Philip’s substantial contributions as a board director over many years.
Now, as we step into the start of a new financial year, we’re once again preparing to shimmy into some serious sequins and frock up as the annual Frocktober fun approaches. Get ready to Frock Ovarian Cancer – registrations will open at the end of July, and it’s shaping up to be the best frocking year yet!
Warmest thanks for your continued support for the OCRF and our mission.
Robin Penty, CEO
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