In conversation with Prostate Cancer UK

Gareth Ellis-Thomas, Director of Transformation and Technology at Prostate Cancer UK talks about their partnership with Manifesto.

Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) first began working with Manifesto in 2018, at a time when PCUK were facing a number of challenges that required our support; from how they utilise their data efficiently, to understanding their audiences, and identifying that they needed to make better technology choices that were both fit for purpose and for the future.

What started as small ways of working have developed into much more transformational change. From first looking at the strategic use of technology across the organisation, to robotic process automation, service design, agile ways of working and innovating new products in more recent years.

Being a collaborative organisation, agile ways of working have allowed the teams at PCUK to focus on where decisions need to be made. Not being purely focussed on the process has created space to think about mindset and culture – from which the processes follow naturally, says Gareth.

Manifesto have supported PCUK in their innovation, using innovation sprints to help develop product ideas. One of those, The Big Golf Race, is now raising close to £1m a year. Being more user focussed – researching and developing products with their users at the centre – is a big part of this success.

“I really like working with [Manifesto]. Everyone I’ve worked with is really friendly and knowledgeable. I think one of the things that works really well in working in our partnership way is that it empowers everyone who is evolved in the project to own it rather than it being delivered to you – your part of it as it’s being made.

Working with [Manifesto] – is bringing in the best of your expertise to work alongside us rather than you working for us. Whenever we’re working together I’ve felt like I can just pick up the phone and ask a question, or send an email and find out that way. For me working quite quickly on things, trying to get my head around things as a director – having that expertise on a peer level is the biggest impact that the partnership has had.”

Gareth Ellis-Thomas, Director of Transformation and Technology at Prostate Cancer UK 

Watch the full video to find out more.