Active Together expands across South Yorkshire

The pioneering exercise, nutrition and wellbeing service that has helped more than 1,000 people in Sheffield and Harrogate prepare for and recover from cancer treatment has expanded across South Yorkshire.

Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, the cancer support service, known as Active Together, has been designed by experts at Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) and has been supporting people in Sheffield since early 2022.

Active Together offers free, personalised fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing support to help people with cancer prepare for, respond to, and recover after treatment.

Active Together aims to increase cancer treatment options, reduce side-effects, speed up recovery and improve long-term health outcomes.

It is now being rolled out in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster thanks to an additional £4million funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research. The charity’s long-term vision is for everyone with a cancer diagnosis in Yorkshire to be able to benefit from these services.

One of the people who has already benefitted from the service is Shaun Toy, a retired bus driver from Maltby in South Yorkshire who took part after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2022.

Shaun said: “The exercise classes were amazing because you could take them all at your own pace. All the classes are geared towards people recovering from cancer so it wasn't too challenging and it really got me into exercise.”

“Following 12 weeks of classes, my fitness levels really improved and I started attending the gym. Now I’m much stronger and have far more energy than I would have if I hadn’t started attending Active Together.”

When asked how he felt about the service being expanded across South Yorkshire, Shaun said, “I think it's incredible that Active Together is expanding to new areas. The service should definitely be made available all over the country. It really does make such a huge difference to people’s lives.”

Evidence suggests that exercise after a cancer diagnosis can reduce the risk of dying from cancer by as much as 44% compared to those who are less active. It can also reduce the risk of cancer coming back by as much as 66%.

Sara Andrews, Macmillan Trust Lead Cancer Nurse at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of the partners in the new expansion, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Active Together has now expanded its cancer rehabilitation project into the Barnsley area. Specialist staff in Barnsley hospital have helped make this happen alongside Sheffield Hallam University and Yorkshire Cancer Research."