"By fundraising for Yorkshire Cancer Research, we hope to give families in Yorkshire more time together” - Wendy and Boyd’s experience

Lifelong partners for 47 years and counting, Wendy and Boyd Midgley have been fundraising for Yorkshire Cancer Research since 2016, raising £41,000 to support pioneering cancer research in Yorkshire.

In its 100th year, Yorkshire Cancer Research is paying tribute to supporters across Yorkshire, including Wendy and Boyd, who have helped bring life-saving breakthroughs and discoveries in cancer research to Yorkshire.

Over the past nine years, Wendy and Boyd have hosted a variety of fundraising events including raffles, race nights and bingo. These events are well-known and much-loved within their local community in Clayton, Bradford, where they have lived all their life. 

With over thirty years' experience of fundraising, the Midgleys’ top fundraising tip is to host events that get people talking and moving. 

Wendy said: “We design our events to be as fun and interactive as possible. Every spring, we host a race night which gets everyone on their feet, encourages a bit of friendly competition and keeps the energy high. More than 100 people came along last year and we raised more than £9,000.”

Planning a successful fundraising event involves careful preparation and effective communication with the wider community beforehand, according to Boyd.

He said: “We always plan ahead and see if we can secure some donations before the day of the event, just in case it doesn’t go as expected for reasons like bad weather. We also often reach out to organisations to ask how they might be able to support. Clayton Conservative Club, who host many of our events, kindly donated £250 and contributed an air fryer for us to auction.”

Wendy and Boyd’s family, and many friends in their village, like to get involved with promoting and planning their fundraising events.

Wendy said: “We are fortunate to have a loyal circle of people who help us spread the word when there is an event coming up. A few of them have been coming to our events for many years and they bring along a large group of friends every time. The generosity of people always astounds us. We’ve experienced people winning the auction and giving the item back to us so we can re-auction it and raise even more money.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research exists so that more people live longer, healthier lives, free of cancer. Since its foundation in 1925, the charity has united with researchers, cancer experts, volunteers, fundraisers and people with cancer to bring life-saving breakthroughs, discoveries and progress in cancer research to the region.

With help from supporters like Wendy and Boyd, the charity can continue to fund pioneering research to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, so more lives can be saved and people in Yorkshire can enjoy more years with loved ones. 

When asked about her personal connection to cancer, Wendy said: “Breast cancer runs in my family. My sister sadly passed away from breast cancer in June last year. She was first diagnosed with cancer in her thirties and, thanks to vital cancer research, lived for another 35 years.”

Wendy’s sister was found to carry a BRCA gene mutation, which can cause a higher risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. As BRCA gene mutations are often passed down through families, Wendy and her family were offered genetic testing to see if they also had the gene mutation.

Wendy said: “I wasn’t found to carry a BRCA gene mutation but genetic testing showed that other members of my family do. My sister’s diagnosis meant we were thankfully offered genetic testing, but not everyone has the same opportunity.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding a pioneering research trial called PROTECT-C, giving thousands of women in Yorkshire the opportunity to get tested for genetic changes or mutations that can increase the risk of developing cancer. Currently, most women with these genetic mutations remain unidentified. If found through testing, women and their families can take measures to prevent breast, bowel, womb and ovarian cancer developing and make sure to stay up to date with their screening.

Wendy said: “I'm pleased to see Yorkshire Cancer Research funding the PROTECT-C trial as genetic testing for cancer is something I feel passionate about given the experience of my sister and family.”