Former Wakefield nurse shares cancer experience to support calls for exercise treatment

A former nurse from Netherton, near Wakefield, is supporting calls for research-backed exercise treatment to be included in the National Cancer Plan after experiencing the benefits first-hand during her own cancer treatment.

Rebecca Clegg, 59, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in November 2024 after struggling with dizziness and fatigue. She says exercise was “vital” to her recovery and believes every person diagnosed with cancer should be able to benefit from services like Active Together.

Within a week of her diagnosis, Rebecca was referred to Active Together, which was launched in Wakefield and North Kirklees one year ago. Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and delivered in partnership with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, the service provides personalised exercise, nutrition and wellbeing support.

Active Together was designed by experts at Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and is underpinned by well-established scientific evidence that shows exercise can increase survival, improve recovery from treatment and reduce the risk of cancer coming back.  

Exercise is not widely available to people with cancer through the NHS, so Yorkshire Cancer Research is rolling out Active Together throughout the region so people can benefit from this essential treatment.  

As part of its White Rose campaign, the charity is calling for research-backed cancer exercise treatment to be included in the National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published by the Government in early 2026.

Rebecca was provided with an exercise plan to help her prepare for surgery and recover afterwards. She also benefitted from dietary advice and says the wellbeing support helped her overcome her fear of chemotherapy and cope with the experience of having cancer.

Rebecca said: “Active Together is just the best thing that ever happened to me. It got me through my diagnosis, my treatment and my recovery. It helped me physically, it helped me mentally, and it helped me socially. It was the one place I could go and not feel the odd one out.

“No matter how bad I felt, I dragged myself to my class, and by the end, I felt great again. Exercise lowered my blood pressure, reduced my anxiety, and improved my sleep.”

Rebecca’s favourite part of Active Together was attending group classes, which helped boost her mood and provided support from others going through a similar experience.  

She is now planning an active future with her husband and dog, including skiing and sea kayaking, and says she is “totally hooked on exercise” thanks to the programme. 

Active Together Mid Yorkshire has provided research-backed cancer exercise treatment to 266 people within its first year. The programme is available for people with lung, bowel and head and neck cancer and is delivered from Pinderfields Hospital and leisure sites across Wakefield and North Kirklees, in partnership with Kirklees Active Leisure and Wakefield Council Aspire Health.

David Miller, a communications consultant from Batley, was introduced to Active Together Mid Yorkshire three weeks after being diagnosed with bowel cancer and credits the service with halving his recovery time from surgery. 

He said: “Active Together proved to be very vital. The exercises I was shown to do may well have bought me the extra 5 to 10% I needed to come away with my operation without a colostomy bag, which was a great relief. I’ve got a level of fitness now that I didn’t have before.

Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research said: “The evidence is clear. Exercise improves survival and recovery for people with cancer. We’re calling for it to be included in the National Cancer Plan so that everyone, no matter where they live, can benefit.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s recommendation for exercise to be introduced for people with cancer through the NHS is included in its landmark White Rose Cancer Report.