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How to resolve AdBlock issue? Pancare finds new ways to combat Australia’s deadliest form of cancer
By Leon Gettler, Talking Business >>
UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) cancers have become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia – surpassing lung cancer – with 9,301 deaths in 2024.
Accounting for roughly 18% of all national cancer fatalities, these diseases, which include pancreatic, liver, stomach, and oesophageal cancers, cause 50 deaths every day.
To this end, we have Pancare, the leading charity foundation that looks after these cancers.
To do this, it set up Par 5, a new and innovative business program that sits within the Pancare Foundation.
New business approach to charity 
Doug Hawkins, CEO of Pancare Foundation said it was a completely different approach to charities and fund raising.
“Instead of taking on the traditional charity style partnership with organisations, we have effectively become the broker of a highly cultivated network of businesses who engage with each other and trade products and services with each other, and outside of that network with organisations we can bring to that network,” Mr Hawkins told Talking Business.
“And the suppliers in those relationships and transactions share their revenue with Par 5 and Par 5 uses that revenue to fund cancer research to try and improve those patients’ survival rates that are among the worst in the country,” he said.
“It’s interesting, it’s unique, it’s never been done before in our sector. Whilst business networks is not a unique idea, Par 5 is very unique in terms of the sophistication we have in the way we cultivate the network and the methodology we run to bring businesses together to create procurement opportunities that probably otherwise wouldn’t exist.
“Ultimately, it creates a new and scalable revenue stream for cancer research which doesn’t exist today.”
Pancare backed by progressive businesses
The members of Par 5 are medium- to scale-up-sized enterprises.
“They are hand-selected through a sophisticated and considered process to bring the right profile and products and services into the marketplace so that we provide enough breadth of service offerings to enable your average organisation to procure something or multiple things from that network and create a really good volume or transaction throughout,” Mr Hawkins said.
He said it was highly collaborative and organisations came to it with a community spirit.
“They are there because they want to see change for upper GI cancer. That’s a key driver,” he said.
“They also want to see business growth opportunities for their organisations so they come to it with a community spirit – but I want to derive business value from participating in this network.
“Oar 5 can provide them with opportunities or enhance their opportunities of winning business or procuring services,” Mr Hawkins said. “Whichever way they participate in the network enables them to improve the performance of their business but ultimately help fund cancer research which impacts all of us.”
Flipped charity model around
Mr Hawkins said this was completely different to the traditional charity model.
“We have flipped that model on its head and go to organisations and say we believe we can add value to you as a business partner,” he said.
“We bring network capability and the ability to open up opportunities for you that otherwise would be difficult or wouldn’t exist.
“So it’s a true business partnership that starts with the enterprise first,” Mr Hawkins said.
“It’s very much a great opportunity for any organisation that gets involved in Par 5 to help improve their business and whistle doings so, they can help support increased funding in cancer research.” 
Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness
https://shows.acast.com/talkingbusiness/episodes/talking-business-13-interview-with-doug-hawkins-from-pancare
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