Charity, Move Against Cancer, is looking to partner with operators in the fitness industry to get more people living with cancer active.
Recognising the benefits that exercise and community can have for this cohort, Move Against Cancer currently focuses on empowering people to complete 5k in any way they can – be it a jog or walk – or alternatively volunteering or having a coffee and a chat.
The charity was co-founded 10 years ago by oncologist and iron-distance champion, Dr Lucy Gossage, who has experience of working with teenage and young adult cancer patients, along with athlete Gemma Hillier-Moses, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24.
Already collaborating with PureGym – which offers free membership to young people with cancer who have completed the charity’s bespoke movement programme – the charity is now looking to build more partnerships in the industry. It wants to spread the message that exercise can help to prevent cancer and help fitness professionals make exercise more accessible to people affected by cancer.
“The fitness industry has the expertise, equipment, and infrastructure for exercise. We bring the understanding of the cancer journey and the limitations – physical and psychological – many people with cancer face,” says Gossage.
There are already 130 ‘5k Your Way’ events taking place across the UK each week, located at designated parkrun sites. Every month, the charity is supporting an average of three new groups to get underway. More people are being diagnosed with cancer and also more people are surviving the illness. Exercise is one of the most important things anyone diagnosed with cancer can do to enhance wellbeing and improve health outcomes both during and after treatment.
“With 5k Your Way, we focus on empowerment over performance and community over competition to help not just those affected by cancer, but also the wider population, to reframe movement as accessible and essential,” says Gossage.
“We emphasise the social aspect of movement, fostering a sense of belonging, support and mutual encouragement among participants. We share real-life stories from our community to show that movement is possible and beneficial at any stage of recovery.”
The charity delivers Move Mentor training to community groups, equipping volunteers and staff with the knowledge and confidence to support people living with and beyond cancer to move more.
The charity has also expanded its community engagement work, building partnerships with grassroots organisations across the UK. It aims to reach people affected by cancer who are least likely to access physical activity support, particularly within ethnically diverse and underserved communities, thereby laying the foundations for long-term, community-led behaviour change.
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