Leeds family raise £500 for Yorkshire Cancer Research in memory of father

A Leeds lung cancer survivor who dedicated his life to raising awareness of the disease has been remembered through a donation to Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Ray Whincup’s family visited the Leeds Lung Health Check, a clinical trial which he supported during its development and launch in 2018, to present the funds raised in his memory and see how Ray’s support made a difference.

Ray was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 1998, and in the two decades after he finished his treatment, dedicated his time to raising awareness of lung cancer and supporting other people who had received a similar diagnosis. He passed away at the end of 2022, at the age of 85, and donations were made to Yorkshire Cancer Research by friends and family at his funeral.

Alison continued: “Dad never had a bad word to say about anyone. Everyone who knew him said he had a heart of gold, and that’s what really came through with the donations and dedications at his funeral.

“He was such a positive man, and he had time for everyone who met him. He was a real gentleman.”

Ray was an important part of the Leeds Lung Health Check, supporting the trial by offering feedback on materials for patients and raising awareness of the importance of early diagnosis.

The programme, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, offers people in Leeds the opportunity to be checked for early signs of lung cancer. The checks take place in a mobile CT scanner which travels to community locations around Leeds. Since it launched four years ago, more than 7,000 people have taken part, over 14,000 lung scans have been carried out, and more than 250 lung cancers have been diagnosed.

Ray ran a patient support group for people with lung cancer in his local area for more than two decades, helping countless people through their own experiences with cancer.

Alison added: “The support group provided really friendly meetings. It was an opportunity for people to reminisce about shared history and experience. They’d do things like go out for meals around Christmas and spend time together socially too.”

Ray also worked with the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, playing an important role in the development and promotion of a campaign called ‘Got a cough? Get a check’. The campaign encouraged people to visit their doctor if they had a persistent cough, which can be an early sign of lung problems.

• A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks,
• A long-standing cough that gets worse,
• Chest infections that keep coming back,
• Coughing up blood,
• An ache or pain when breathing or coughing,
• Persistent breathlessness,
• Persistent tiredness or lack of energy,
• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.

If you have any of these symptoms, or are concerned about lung cancer, contact your GP as soon as possible.