Celebrating two years of Active Together

This week, we're celebrating two years of the Active Together Programme at Mid Yorkshire, in partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Since its rollout in 2024, Active Together has seen over 800 patient referrals, with over 380 patients actively taking part in physical activity programmes, with over 100 patients completing the whole programme from Prehabilitation.

The programme has also supported over 500 patients with nutritional support, and over 270 patients with psychological and wellbeing support.

To highlight the occasion, Alan shares his story:

When Alan completed his bowel cancer screening test, he had no idea it would change his life.

The routine test that he received in the mail came back positive and, after further investigations, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

"It all happened so fast," recalled the 74-year old from Wakefield. "One minute I'd sent my test off and the next thing I knew I was being told I had cancer."

Fortunately, the cancer had been caught early, giving Alan the opportunity to access treatment before it had spread. But there was another challenge ahead.

Alan needed to improve his overall health and fitness so he could have the surgery he needed. At the time, he described himself as a "computer cabbage", spending most of his day sitting down and a regular in his local pub. The message from clinicians was clear. If he wanted the best chance of a successful operation and recovery, changes were needed.

Research has shown that regular exercise before, during and after cancer treatment can lead to improved recovery, increased survival and help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. Active Together offers free, personalised fitness support for people following a cancer diagnosis, delivered by qualified professionals.

The programme is delivered by Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, using eight different locations across North Kirklees and Wakefield.

"My lifestyle had completely changed from what it used to be," he said. "Years ago I'd go to the gym all the time, but after COVID and problems with my knees, I'd lost all motivation.

"I looked at it very simply - I wanted to get better, so I did what they asked me to do."

Working with the Active Together team, Alan began making significant changes to his lifestyle. He stopped drinking alcohol completely, altered his diet and started exercising regularly - one of more than 500 people who have received nutritional support the programme. For Alan, the transition was dramatic.

"I'd been drinking heavily for years,” he conceded, “but once I knew what I had to do, I stopped altogether. The Active Together team supported me, but so did my friends. Everybody got behind me."

Exercise quickly became a key part of his routine. Through Active Together and additional support from Aspire Health, Alan found himself attending gym-based sessions several times each week.

"At first it was tough because I was doing things I'd not done for years. But week by week it got easier. I got fitter, I could breathe better and I could walk further. Everything started becoming easier."

Over the course of his preparation for surgery, Alan lost around 25kg. But the improvements were about much more than the number on the scales.

"It wasn't just physical. Mentally, I felt better too. Getting your motivation back is hard, especially as you get older, but the programme helped me do that."

Alongside the physical benefits, Alan found strength in meeting others living with cancer through the Active Together sessions, with over 800 people now having being referred to the programme so far.

"Once you get to know people, you realise everybody is going through something. You support each other. You hear about other people's experiences and it changes how you look at your own situation."

Throughout his treatment, he remained determined to stay positive and focused on recovery. When the time came for surgery, Alan felt ready. And after the successful operation, Alan's recovery exceeded expectations. Spending weeks in a high dependency unit was a distinct possibility, but instead he was quickly back on a ward and then allowed to return home within a week.

Only a short time later, he was enjoying the holiday he had promised himself.

Now cancer-free and continuing his rehabilitation, Alan remains committed to staying active and improving his health.

"I've still got goals I want to achieve. I'm more active, I'm healthier and I'm doing more now than I was before my diagnosis."

"Active Together wasn’t just an add-on," he said. "For me, it was a really important part of my treatment. Without it, I don't think I'd have done the exercise. It gave me the motivation to keep going."

And for anyone receiving a similar diagnosis, his message is simple.