People with cancer in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven will now have access to Active Together, a cancer exercise treatment service.
The service was designed by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.
The service is delivered by cancer exercise specialists and physiotherapists at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.
It aims to help people prepare for and recover from treatment, with evidence showing that exercise can improve recovery, increase survival and reduce the risk of cancer returning.
Active Together is being embedded in local community settings, including Active North Yorkshire Skipton and The Leisure Centre in Keighley.
Since its launch in 2022, more than 2,000 people across Yorkshire have taken part, with participants reporting benefits such as reduced fatigue, improved fitness and lower levels of anxiety and low mood.
An evaluation by Sheffield Hallam University found that people who used the service were more likely to survive at least one year after diagnosis, with a 10 percent higher one-year survival rate compared to those who did not take part.
The programme in Airedale aims to support 1,470 people over the next three years.
Victoria Bates, from Oakworth, who exercised throughout her treatment for breast cancer, added:
“Continuing to exercise despite my diagnosis was, for me, the best thing I could have possibly done.
"Every time I went on a run, it gave me such a physical and psychological boost, and I would have really struggled to get back to fitness otherwise. "However, I know I would have benefited even more from a professional, personalised guiding hand, like Active Together.
"That’s why it’s fantastic the service is now available to other people going through cancer in my community.”
In the first year, it will be offered to those diagnosed with bowel cancer, expanding in later years to breast, lung and upper gastrointestinal cancers. People must currently be referred by their hospital care team, with GP referrals expected to be introduced in future phases.
Sir Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, added:
“I am pleased to see Yorkshire Cancer Research bringing the Active Together programme to Craven.
"This initiative is making a real difference to the lives of people affected by cancer, and I am grateful for the charity’s continued commitment to improving health outcomes across our region.”
Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley and Ilkley, said:
“This is a fantastic initiative for residents across our area, backed by scientific research and already making a difference up and down the UK in battling this cruel disease.
"A huge thank you to Yorkshire Cancer Research, the Active Together team, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and all the community venues getting involved locally.”
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