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Sizeable £835k donation will fund exercise programme at Harrogate's cancer research centre

Monday, 17 July 2023 04:00

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has committed £835,000 to support a pioneering cancer exercise programme led by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Sizeable £835k donation will fund exercise programme at Harrogate's cancer research centre The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has committed £835,000 to support a pioneering cancer exercise programme led by Yorkshire Cancer Research. A new cancer research centre will be opening in Harrogate this autumn and SNF is pledging the substantial sum to support a wellbeing programme for people recovering from cancer treatment. The partnership will also fund a new training and research exchange programme designed to develop a new generation of experts who will drive forward worldwide understanding of exercise as a treatment for cancer. In collaboration with Greece-based non-profit Regeneration & Progress, this will involve researchers and practitioners from Greece coming to the UK and those in the UK travelling to Greece. Yorkshire Cancer Research Chief Executive Dr Kathryn Scott said:

“This is the largest single philanthropic gift Yorkshire Cancer Research has received in its 98-year history, which really demonstrates the contribution this important programme will make to worldwide research and innovation. "This significant and extremely generous donation from SNF will make a huge difference to people with cancer in Yorkshire."
SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said:
"By exploring the role of exercise in treating cancer, Yorkshire Cancer Research is helping open up new possibilities for care. “SNF is grateful for this work and its human-centric approach of caring for the whole person.”
The new programme will build on the success of the existing Active Together service in South Yorkshire designed by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and provided in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which has so far helped nearly 400 people with cancer. Exercise when battling cancer Evidence shows that exercise before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis can increase treatment options, while reducing side effects and complications and speeding up recovery from other treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy. Exercise can also increase the likelihood of survival. It can reduce the risk of dying from cancer by up to 44% in those who are physically active compared to those who are inactive1, and the risk of cancer coming back in the future could be reduced by up to 66%2. By 2025, it is anticipated that nearly 1,000 patients across Yorkshire will receive support through the charity’s expanded Active Together service. Findings from this Yorkshire Cancer Research programme will also inform the future development of plans for more centres and services across the region, focusing on areas and communities with the greatest need. Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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