People in Yorkshire invited to walk 35,000 miles for life-saving cancer research

Yorkshire Cancer Research is calling on people in Yorkshire to come together this May and help walk 35,000 miles to fund life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire.

The charity’s 2026 ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ challenge invites people from across the region to lace up their walking boots and step out for the 35,000 people in Yorkshire who are told they have cancer every year.  

Every mile counts and every pound raised will help find new and better ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer - for people in Yorkshire now, and in the future.

Taking part in ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ is a way to boost wellbeing and explore Yorkshire’s great outdoors while supporting vital research and innovative cancer services, so more people in the region can live longer, healthier lives, free of cancer. 

Sadly, people are more likely to have their lives cut short by cancer in Yorkshire than almost anywhere else in England. As Yorkshire’s cancer charity, Yorkshire Cancer Research exists to change this. The charity is funding £75 million of cancer research and services, giving 182,000 people in Yorkshire the opportunity to take part in ground-breaking cancer breakthroughs and progress.

Whether it’s one big hike, a stroll around the local town or 15 minutes of activity each day, people can choose how far, how often and where they want to walk, making the challenge suitable for all lifestyles and fitness levels.

People can sign up to ‘We Walk for Yorkshire' on the charity’s website, choose their challenge and set up their fundraising page to share with others. 

‘We Walk for Yorkshire' also aims to raise awareness of the importance of exercise in helping to prevent and treat cancer.

Growing global evidence shows regular activity can increase cancer survival, improve recovery from treatment and reduce the risk of some cancers coming back. Exercise has also been shown to help people better tolerate side effects and improve mental wellbeing.

Underpinned by well-established scientific evidence is Active Together, the pioneering cancer exercise treatment service funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and designed by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre to help people prepare for and recover from cancer treatment. Having supported over 3,000 people with cancer, Yorkshire Cancer Research is currently rolling out the service throughout the region, so more people can benefit from the life-changing benefits of personalised research-backed cancer exercise treatment.

For Simon Twigge from Sheffield, walking for Yorkshire is a way to give back for the pioneering cancer exercise support he received through Active Together.  

In December 2024, Simon was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He quickly began treatment which involved 35 rounds of radiotherapy and two rounds of chemotherapy. Despite the swift treatment, Simon unfortunately experienced a lot of discomfort due to difficulties with swallowing and eating.  

As well as being forced to give up playing his beloved French horn, Simon’s cancer treatment resulted in him losing over 20kg and he was required to use a feeding tube.

Simon said: “I did the exercises they gave me to help with swallowing, but eating was still very unpleasant and food tasted horrible. What I also struggled with was being unable to do my usual fitness routine.  As an avid walker, I like to track my steps and activity on my fitness tracker. During treatment, I couldn’t walk as far and lost a lot of strength, although thankfully I managed to keep up some walking.”

To help him prepare for and recover from treatment, Simon took part in the Active Together service in Sheffield, where he was given a personalised cancer exercise treatment plan along with tailored nutritional and wellbeing support.

Simon continued: “After treatment, I had lost a lot of strength, especially in my upper body. The Active Together sessions really helped me build back this strength while maintaining my cardiovascular fitness. Within weeks, I was seeing a huge difference. After just two weeks, I was itching to get out again and able to start my longer walks.”

Thanks to pioneering cancer exercise treatment, Simon is back to playing the French horn, eating the foods he couldn’t enjoy during treatment and regularly taking long walks in Yorkshire. Having experienced the powerful benefits of research-backed cancer exercise treatment, he has signed up to this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire challenge, setting himself the ambitious goal of 15,000 steps a day.

Simon will also mark a special milestone in May – his 60th birthday – by taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks with his friends, who supported him throughout his cancer treatment. 

Exercise has also played a vital role in supporting Jackie Best’s recovery from cancer treatment. Jackie, who lives in Green Hammerton near Harrogate, turned to walking to build back her physical strength and support her mental wellbeing after cancer treatment. This year, she’ll be stepping outdoors alongside her daughter, Melissa.

In March 2024, Jackie’s quiet routine of enjoying the outdoors and walking with her dog, Mac, was disrupted when she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She was quickly referred for treatment, and despite the initial success of Jackie’s surgery, doctors were concerned the cancer had spread into her other breast. Thankfully, further tests ruled this out, but the unpredictability of her health took a toll.

To help her recover from treatment and support her mental wellbeing, Jackie joined Active Together in Harrogate. From her first visit, Jackie felt she had found a safe space between medical appointments.

Jackie loved the variety of exercises that a structured exercise treatment plan gave her, from taking part in small group fitness classes to receiving personalised sessions tailored around her individual needs.  

She said: “The instructors were so knowledgeable and non-judgemental; I could talk to them about anything. I knew every time I walked into the Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre, I’d walk out feeling better.”  

Jackie concluded: “Doing a bit of physical activity, even just a little walk, makes all the difference; I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Exercise has been the magic pill in my recovery from cancer treatment, and for that, I have Yorkshire Cancer Research to thank. That’s why it’s so important to keep funding this vital work. Signing up to this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire challenge is an act of solidarity for people affected by cancer in Yorkshire.”

Those who would like to get involved in this year’s challenge can also join with their friends, families and colleagues to form a ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ team, clocking up miles together or even enjoying a bit of friendly competition while spending more time with each other. 

Jayne Hussey from Hull took part in We Walk for Yorkshire with her colleagues last year. The challenge became a meaningful way to take a break from their desks and enjoy some fresh air, while fundraising for vital cancer research along the way.

Taking part with her team at Smailes Goldie again this year, Jayne is also personally motivated to help Yorkshire Cancer Research find new ways to prevent and detect cancer earlier. Both her mum and her grandma were diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. Sadly, Jayne’s grandma died from breast cancer at just 44 and it became a worrying time when her mum was also diagnosed some time later. Thankfully, her mum’s cancer was found early, meaning she could be successfully treated. She has now been cancer-free for 20 years.    

Jayne said: “I remember how scared we were when Mum was diagnosed. We couldn’t help thinking about how young Grandma was when she passed away and we were terrified history would repeat itself with Mum too.”  

Due to her family’s experience with breast cancer, Jayne asked her doctor whether she could have a genetic test to see whether she carried an inherited genetic change that would increase her risk of developing breast cancer. She was advised she had a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer due to her family history but wasn’t offered a genetic test for cancer. Since then, she has taken proactive steps to protect her health, including attending regular screenings and checking her body for cancer symptoms.  

This year, she hopes to take part in a ground-breaking cancer genetic screening study called PROTECT-C, which will offer testing to thousands of women in Yorkshire who haven’t previously been tested to see whether they have a genetic change that increases their risk of breast, ovary, bowel and womb cancer.

When asked about what she’ll be walking for this May, Jayne said: “I’m walking for more genetic screening in Yorkshire because of the life-saving difference it can make in preventing and detecting cancer early. I feel proud knowing my colleagues and I are raising funds for research that will save lives.” 

Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research said: “Whether the aim is to take on a personal challenge, walk with colleagues, cheer on friends and family, or support the cause for a loved one affected by cancer, every pound raised through We Walk for Yorkshire 2026 will help bring pioneering cancer research to people in our region.

“Through the ground-breaking research and services it funds, Yorkshire Cancer Research is leading the way in cancer exercise treatment, helping to increase survival, improve recovery and reduce the risk of cancer coming back. ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ gives everyone the chance to experience the huge benefits that being active and exploring the Yorkshire countryside brings – for physical health, mental wellbeing and more time with loved ones. Every mile clocked brings us closer to a Yorkshire free from cancer.”