Smarter Journeys, Stronger Supporters: Reimagining the London Marathon Experience at Children with Cancer UK

Alex Hayward

12:00 - 12:35

This session explores how Children with Cancer UK has redesigned its London Marathon fundraising journey to move from a transactional model to a more relationship-led approach, using automation as a key enabler.

At its core, the presentation will show how we have streamlined both recruitment and stewardship. This includes introducing a more efficient, AI-assisted application and selection process to handle thousands of applications consistently and at speed, as well as building automated supporter journeys that respond to where each fundraiser is in their experience.

By automating key touchpoints—such as application responses, onboarding communications, and milestone-based stewardship—we have reduced manual administration and created a more consistent and scalable supporter experience. This has allowed our teams to shift their focus away from process-heavy activity and towards building deeper, more meaningful relationships with fundraisers.

Alex Hayward

Head of Mass Participation FundraisingChildren with Cancer UK

Alex Hayward is Head of Mass Participation Fundraising at Children with Cancer UK. Since 2013, he has worked across the UK charity sector, including roles at Macmillan Cancer Support, WWF-UK and the Royal British Legion.
He has extensive experience in mass participation fundraising and has spent more than three years at Children with Cancer UK, working across several fundraising teams.
He specialises in supporter acquisition and stewardship, focusing on how charities can grow audiences, build communities and deepen supporter engagement. He is particularly interested in using data and testing new approaches to better understand supporters and strengthen long-term relationships.

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