Active Together: Calderdale and Huddersfield cancer patients to benefit from exercise programme offered elsewehre in
Norma Blagborough could barely believe her bowel cancer diagnosis in July 2025.
“Completely devastated is the only way to put it,” she says. “I was really taken aback. I’d had a hysterectomy a few years ago after I was diagnosed with womb cancer and really wasn’t expecting to be diagnosed a second time. I was so nervous about going through the same process again.”
Exercise treatment, though, became a vital part of the Bingley patient’s recovery from cancer surgery after she joined the Active Together Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.
Now more patients will be aided in a similar way, as people living with cancer in Calderdale and Huddersfield will soon have access to a pioneering cancer exercise service to help them prepare for and recover from their treatment.
Yorkshire Cancer Research, in partnership with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, is launching its research-backed service, Active Together, in Huddersfield, Halifax and the wider Calderdale area this summer, giving people with cancer the opportunity to experience the benefits of exercise as part of their overall treatment.
Designed by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Active Together is underpinned by scientific evidence that shows exercise before cancer treatment (prehabilitation) and after (rehabilitation) can increase survival, while reducing side effects from treatment, complications and the risk of cancer returning.
Nearly 3,000 people across Yorkshire have already been supported by the service, which also offers expert nutritional and psychological support, as Active Together is currently available in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Wakefield and North Kirklees, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, Harrogate and Hull.
Yorkshire Cancer Research aims to help address cancer inequalities by bringing this pioneering service into communities in Yorkshire where it is needed most. In Calderdale and Huddersfield, around 54 people are diagnosed with cancer every week.
In Norma’s case, she went to A&E after experiencing bowel problems and after a colonoscopy revealed she had cancer, she was quickly referred for surgery. To help build her fitness ahead of the operation and reduce the risk of complications afterwards, Norma was referred to Active Together, where she began a personalised cancer exercise treatment plan, alongside tailored nutritional support.
Norma was supported by Sophie, a cancer exercise specialist physiotherapist in the Active Together Airedale team, who worked with her to build her cardiovascular fitness and improve her breathing ahead of the surgery. She also received expert nutritional support before and after her surgery, which helped her adapt her diet in preparation for the operation and understand her dietary requirements afterwards.
Norma said: “I was using a walker and trying to do a bit of walking when I could. Sophie encouraged me to start walking uphill and to push myself a bit more, getting out of breath to help improve my lung capacity. She was so encouraging, and I realised I could actually do a lot more than I thought.”
Her operation was successful and Norma spent just three days in hospital before returning home to finish her recovery.
Norma said: “My recovery this time, compared to my previous operation, was far easier and that’s all down to Active Together. The exercises I was given helped tremendously, and I really believe they made the difference in speeding up my recovery. I’m so pleased people with cancer in Calderdale and Huddersfield will soon be able to experience the same benefits.”
The expansion into Calderdale and Huddersfield comes as the Government has published its National Cancer Plan to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Plan, which references evidence from the charity’s Active Together service, includes a commitment to make prehabilitation available to everyone diagnosed with cancer through digital technology and provide rehabilitation for some people with cancer.
Stuart Griffiths of Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “Evidence from the charity’s Active Together service shows the most life-changing benefits come from structured, personalised cancer exercise treatment provided through one-to-one sessions and group classes – before, during and after cancer treatment."