£4m funding for cancer support

A pioneering exercise, nutrition and wellbeing cancer support service that has helped people in Sheffield prepare for and recover from cancer treatment has received a £4m funding boost to expand across South Yorkshire.

The Active Together service is designed and delivered by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Since its launch in Sheffield in 2022, more than 1,000 patients have used the service and in late 2023 Yorkshire Cancer Research began providing the service from its centre in Hornbeam Park.

It offers free, personalised fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing support to help people with cancer prepare for, respond to, and recover after treatment. It aims to save lives by increasing cancer treatment options, reducing side-effects, speeding up recovery and improving long-term health outcomes.

It is now being rolled out in Barnsley, Rotherham, and Doncaster thanks to an extra £4m funding from the charity and will be delivered in partnership with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust.