Welcome from York Against Cancer’s CEO, Julie Russell
We put cancer patients and their families at the heart of every decision we make here at York Against Cancer.
It is important for our readers to know that all of the income we receive is raised by donations and fundraising, from individuals, organisations, groups and businesses and we are extremely grateful for every penny. We take the responsibility of spending this money seriously, ensuring we only fund projects that make the biggest difference to cancer patients and their families in our area – York, North and East Yorkshire. We never commit to funding a project without evidence that it is going to really make a difference and that we can continue to fund it long into the future.
Again, this year has been a busy one! We have continued to help cancer patients by providing them with free transport to their radiotherapy treatments at the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, and with transport to rapid diagnostic appointments which are frequently not at their local hospital and can be last minute. This is a practical way of supporting a cancer patient; at a time when they are not well, it takes away the worry of driving to an appointment and the cost of the fuel.
York and North Yorkshire advisors covering the York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust area. Patients can access support at The Leveson Centre, at their local hospital or in some cases the CA advisor will visit the patient and family in their own home - we are ensuring the service is easily accessible.
Read more about support offered at The Leveson Centre on page 4
The Leveson Centre, our cancer support centre, is now known as the ‘go to place’ to access help, care and support for all cancer patients and their families in York and the wider area. The services on offer are proving very popular and the footfall to the centre continues to grow. As statistics show that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer at some point in our lives, we envisage the demand on our services will grow and we will adapt as the need arises.
We have also offered patients financial and benefits advice through funding two Citizen’s Advice (CA)
None of our services and projects would be possible without the generous support of our donors and fundraisers. Thank you very much!
Meet our new member of the team
Over the course of the last year, we have been delighted to increase our team to better help us respond to the needs of our community and provide vital support services to cancer patients and their loved ones.
Meet Claire!
Claire is our Community Fundraiser, leading on all of York Against Cancer’s fundraising activities.
Claire says,
I feel very privileged to be part of a wonderful team, helping to support the local community who are affected by cancer. Its very exciting organising local events - seeing people having fun and the smiles on their faces while raising money for York Against Cancer is incredibly rewarding.
”
Claire
Julie Russell, CEO
Get a lift to your radiotherapy treatment
Cancer patients living in York can receive a free lift to radiotherapy treatment in St James’s Hospital, Leeds. All you need to do is get in touch with your treatment dates and we’ll be happy to book you on to our minibus!
“ I was diagnosed last year with prostate cancer. I was under York Hospital. The radiotherapy is in Leeds and of course, all of my family told me, ‘Oh, we’ll drive you!’. But you don’t realise it’s every single day. So, just to have a bus service that knows where you’re going to, drops you exactly at the right place, at the door, waits for you, and takes you right back to your doorstep is fantastic!
Enjoy a free stay in Filey and Yapham
If you are a cancer patient under the care of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, you can apply for a free 3-4 night break away at either our family property in Filey or our cosy couple’s cottage in Yapham.
“
Our minibus
Taking patients to radiotherapy every working day
It was such an uplifting weekend. The property was so lovely and bigger than expected – a lovely house to spend time with family or friends. When you feel life hasn’t been too kind to you, York Against Cancer fills that void and gives you some hope.
101 breaks granted in 2024
Get moving in our exercise classes
Take part in 5 free exercise classes for cancer patients to help you regain muscle strength, tone and flexibility. We also offer free Nordic Walking sessions for breast cancer patients, proving especially beneficial for reducing lymphoedema risk and improving range of motion post breast cancer surgery. All of our sessions are run by specialists who are dedicated to providing a safe, effective programme for a range of abilities.
Get in touch
If you are interested in finding out more about any of our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call us on 01904 764466 or email office@yorkagainstcancer.org.uk Alternatively, visit our website yorkagainstcancer.org.uk for more information.
Filey
Yapham
Nordic Walking
Yoga at The Leveson Centre
At The Leveson Centre, we’re pleased to offer a range of support services for cancer patients and their loved ones. One of these services is our free yoga classes for cancer patients. We sat down with Emma, our wonderful yoga teacher here at The Leveson Centre, to find out what benefits doing yoga can have for cancer patients. Here’s what she had to say...
Yoga can help cancer patients by strengthening the body, making us stronger and more resilient. It helps to make movement and repair of the body just that little bit easier. It can help teach us ways to relax by using our breath and our movement, therefore just making the mind a little bit clearer, a little bit calmer, and just enable us to take things a little bit more in our own time.
From my sessions, you can expect to take some breath work, some gentle movement, working the body and the mind together. Don’t worry if you’ve never done yoga before – the class will be suitable for all abilities. There will be plenty of options and you will be able to make the class as simple as you wish, or as intense as you wish. It is practice that makes us stronger and we’ll practice together.
Exercise and cancer
Along with the particular benefits provided by yoga, research shows that being active can have positive effects on both your physical and mental wellbeing. Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer by maintaining your immune system, helping you keep a healthy weight, and also improve your energy so you can do more things that you enjoy.
To enquire about joining our yoga classes or to find out more about the exercise sessions we offer, get in touch on 01904 202647 or email support@thelevesoncentre.org.uk
How regular exercise may help you before, during, and after cancer treatment:
• Reduce anxiety
• Lessen fatigue
• Improve general physical wellbeing
• Prevent or improve lymphoedema (a type of swelling caused by treatment to lymph nodes)
• Increase muscle strength
• Improve sleep
• Reduce pain through the release of endorphins
• Help your immune system work at its best
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve your quality of life
• Reduce treatment side effects
Emma
Classes at The Leveson Centre
Kirsty’s story
Kirsty is one of our regular coffee morning attendees at The Leveson Centre. Recently, Kirsty sat down with us to tell us how The Leveson Centre has helped her.
My Mum had bowel cancer a very long time ago, but she got the all clear. Then 9 years ago my Dad got prostate cancer. My Mum and Dad come to The Leveson Centre and I’ve started coming to the coffee mornings on quite a regular basis.
The Leveson Centre is the best place ever. It’s such a nice place. It’s like a home. I tell everyone at work – I’ve been handing out leaflets. When I first came here, I expected it to be medical, but it’s not medical. It’s like walking into somebody’s kitchen, and everyone’s so friendly. Everyone sits round the table and you wouldn’t think they’re all cancer patients or family members. Everyone just talks about everything else going on in their day and it’s so nice. It puts you at ease. It’s very calming.
I heard about The Leveson Centre from my Mum and Dad because they came when it first opened. They got my older two kids to come and have a look around, just so they knew what it was like. And then they said ‘oh come for a coffee morning’, so I came for a coffee morning, and I come to most of them now!
Sometimes if I’m around here, and I just want a chat without my Mum and Dad, then I’ll just come and sit around the table and grab a coffee and have a little moan or a natter. Because I’m there for my Mum and Dad in between work and stuff, sometimes it’s hard to offload. So I know that I can walk through these doors and offload, and it’s really good.
There are just so many different characters at coffee morning. It’s so nice. You know you’re not on your own. And you always come out feeling better when you’ve been on a coffee morning. It’s very joyous.
The Leveson Centre is important for family members. They’ve always said we’re here not just to support the patient but families as well. And I say to anyone who’s a carer or a family member, bring your kids, come and see someone, there’s always someone here to listen to you. You’ve got to. It’s such a nice place.
The Leveson Centre is a good thing to have and hopefully it will stay here forever. York Against Cancer is such a good charity and does so much for everyone.
To anyone thinking of donating to York Against Cancer, I’d say just do it because it’s the best. It’s helped my Dad so much. Like with transport to Leeds, it eased the pressure off me, so I was able to take some time off work to look after my Mum and keep my Mum occupied.
I’m doing the 10K run for York Against Cancer. I haven’t run since I was young with my Dad! But York Against Cancer have done so much, I thought why not! And my daughter said I’ll join you. We’re calling ourselves Charlie’s Angels after my Dad
Kirsty
Become a friend of York Against Cancer
We wouldn’t have been able to reach the incredible achievements we have at York Against Cancer without the help of our remarkable supporters. It is through thoughtful donations made by kind individuals that we are able to provide care and support to cancer patients and their loved ones, ensuring no-one has to face cancer alone.
For Kate and her family, the support offered by York Against Cancer was a “lifeline.”
We found The Leveson Centre, York Against Cancer’s cancer support centre, just after my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. I’ve had lots of support from the team here in some really dark and scary times. It’s made such a difference knowing people understand and care.
We know how vital our support services are to people like Kate in our community. We want to ensure that we can continue offering help and support to anyone who needs it. But to do this, we need your help.
However cancer has touched your life, York Against Cancer is here for you - the place you can turn to when you need information and advice, a helping hand, or simply a good chat over a cuppa. We are asking if you can be a friend to York Against Cancer, by giving a monthly gift.
We rely on generous donations to keep doing all we can to help those affected by cancer. With a monthly gift, you can ensure that we can continue helping local people for many years to come.
Every penny you give will go towards funding our care and support services, life-saving research and cancer awareness and education.
Will
you consider becoming a friend of York Against Cancer to help support everyone affected by cancer in our community?
To set your monthly gift, scan the QR code or visit yorkagainstcancer.enthuse.com
Thank you.
Coffeemorning in The Leveson Centre
Our fundraisers
Over the past 12 months, so many exciting fundraising events have been held on behalf of York Against Cancer, for which we are so grateful. Thank you to everyone who has supported us by fundraising this year!
Here are just some of the fundraising events held in
2025:
R U Taking the P..?
On 22nd June, 145 runners took to Rowntree Park to run 5K their way to raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise funds for York Against Cancer. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. Thanks to you, we were able to raise over £18,000, which will help us to continue supporting cancer patients and their loved ones. A big thank you to our sponsors Elovate, Pool Bridge Farm, Wards of York, Make It York and Marc Oliver Bathrooms, Tiles and Kitchens for helping to make the day such a success. Next year’s R U Taking the P..? will take place on 21st June 2026. Look out for more details soon!
Thank you Ardent!
Golf Day
On 18th June, 124 players across 31 teams took to the course at York Golf Club for a fantastic round of golf under the sun, raising an incredible £11,400 for York Against Cancer. Thank you very much to our sponsors Cellhire and Your Move Anscombs, as well as pro, Mark Rogers. The next Golf Day will be taking place on Wednesday 17th June 2026. Don’t miss it!
Golf Day
We are so thankful to our friends at Ardent Financial Planning, who make a charitable donation of £50 to York Against Cancer for every initial meeting that results from a client recommendation. Since launching the scheme in June 2022, Ardent and their clients have raised over £5,000. Thank you so much!
Our volunteers
Thank you so much to all of our remarkable volunteers who help us to continue doing all we can for cancer patients and their loved ones across the region. Whether you have volunteered in our gift shops or The Leveson Centre, baked for our cake sales, or helped out at events, we are so grateful for your support! If you are interested in volunteering for York Against Cancer, get in touch on 01904 764466, email office@yorkagainstcancer.org.uk or fill in a volunteering form on our website.
RUTTP 2025
2025Golf Day
Ardent visit
Our gift shops
Did you know? We have two wonderful gift shops located at York Hospital and York Community Stadium.
Our gift shops sell a beautiful selection of cards and gifts, perfect for any occasion. Choose from gorgeous handbags, stylish kitchenware, adorable Warmies and so much more.
All of our stock is completely brand new and 100% of the profits go to York Against Cancer. Every purchase you make helps us support cancer patients and their loved ones across the region.
Browse our shelves lined with beautiful and unique gifts, all thoughtfully sourced by our Retail Manager. We always do our best to select stock from companies with a
green footprint and a meaningful story behind them, ensuring our customers go home with their perfect fit.
Both of our shops are staffed by generous volunteers. Their vital assistance ensures we are able to open our shops MondaySaturday, helping us to raise money that goes towards funding our various services and getting the funds where they are most needed.
Chris is one of our brilliant volunteers. She shares,
I really enjoy meeting people at the shop and at events. I love being part of the York Against Cancer team and am always glad to help whenever possible!
You can find our gift shops located at York Hospital and York Community Stadium.
Opening hours
Stadium shop: Monday - Friday: 10am - 4pm Saturday: 9am-1pm
Hospital shop: Monday - Friday: 10am - 4pm
Cosy Warmies
Gorgeous handbags
Stoneglow candles & fragrances
Cutting-edge research
Cancer research has always been at the heart of our work, and we’re proud to have supported scientists at the University of York since our earliest days. Since 1992, we have funded groundbreaking research at the University’s Jack Birch Unit (JBU). Here are the latest updates from the team!
Professor Jenny Southgate – 25 years as Director of the Jack Birch Unit
After 25 years at the helm, Professor Jenny Southgate is retiring as Director of the Jack Birch Unit.
Over the last two and a half decades, Jenny has pioneered world-leading research into the causes, prevention and treatment of bladder cancer. Led by Jenny, the JBU has developed a cutting-edge approach to discovering more about bladder cancer, looking closely at what a healthy bladder looks like in order to uncover exactly what it is that goes wrong when one becomes cancerous. The JBU team have developed methods to grow cells and tissues in the laboratory from samples of human bladder and urinary tract, donated to their specialist tissue bank by patients undergoing surgery, in order to be able to study real-life processes outside the human body. Through this incredible work, the JBU team are making a huge contribution to disease prevention and therapeutic options for bladder cancer.
In 2024, researchers from the JBU were invited to attend the International Bladder Cancer Network (IBCN) meeting in Bern, Switzerland. Jenny gave the 2024 IBCN lecture and was awarded Honorary Membership as a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to bladder cancer research. Jenny states,
I was really chuffed to have been invited to deliver the annual IBCN keynote lecture and it was absolutely amazing to have then been awarded Honorary Membership of the society. It was most definitely a highlight of my career!
Over her tenure at the JBU, Jenny has brought a plethora of highly skilled fellows and clinicians into the department and helped to nurture their progress as independent researchers and consultants. Putting together such a dedicated team has led to impressive strides in the field of bladder cancer research.
We want to say a huge thank you from everyone here at York Against Cancer. It has been a pleasure to work with Jenny over the last 25 years and we wish her all the best for her retirement.
Meet Will Brackenbury
As we say goodbye and a heartfelt thank you to Jenny, we’re delighted to welcome Will Brackenbury as the new Director of the Jack Birch Unit.
Under Will’s direction, the JBU will expand its cancer research programme to significantly enhance clinical impact for cancer patients. This will include developing scientifically-led clinical collaborations and ensuring research findings can be translated into real-world applications.
The unit will continue its pioneering work on bladder cancer models while expanding its research into other cancer types, including those of the breast, colon and kidney. A key goal is to identify and target previously unexplored aspects of the tumour’s environment, which are crucial for understanding how cancer starts, grows, spreads, and how it responds to treatment. Will says,
I am very excited to be taking on directorship of the York Against Cancer funded JBU. This presents a fantastic opportunity to expand our research in breast, bladder, colon and kidney cancers to accelerate the development of new treatments that I hope can make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients in the future.
Jenny
Will
A new member of the team
Dr Vicki Jennings was welcomed to the JBU team at the end of 2024 for a 5-year research fellowship supported by York Against Cancer. Vicki is a cancer immunologist by training and will be studying the development and use of immunotherapies for epithelial cancers, including bladder cancer.
Joining the JBU with the support of York Against Cancer is an incredible opportunity that allows me to pursue research I care deeply about. My lab will focus on understanding how we can harness the immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer, with a particular focus on oncolytic viruses. These remarkable viruses selectively destroy tumour cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed and can help activate our immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. Over the course of my 5-year fellowship, I plan to develop novel oncolytic virotherapies and move them closer to clinical use, with the ultimate aim of making a meaningful difference for people affected by cancer.
Understanding causes of bladder cancer
Dr Simon Baker has taken great strides in researching the potential causes of bladder cancer, studying how a common infection, known as ‘BK virus,’ may lead to bladder cancer developing later in life. This work has been gaining international recognition, with Simon invited to give talks around the UK and in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Last year, Simon and members of the JBU travelled to the International Bladder Cancer Network meeting in Bern, Switzerland. We’re thrilled to share that Simon was selected as the best talk at the event!
I shared, for the first time, our work on BK virus where we have been trying to establish the risk infection poses for developing bladder cancer later in life. I was really pleased to be awarded the best speaker prize. The award is great encouragement as we write up the story for publication. We will share the full story of this research with York Against Cancer’s community as soon as it is published.
Simon’s research into BK virus is supported by a York Against Cancer funded PhD student, George Hatton. In his PhD, George is studying how the tissue that lines the bladder detects and responds to BK virus infections. Their work suggests the weapons our body uses to fight BK virus infections may cause collateral damage in our cells that could increase the risk of cancers developing. The aim of this research is to uncover new avenues of preventions and possible cures, such as potentially developing a vaccination or antiviral therapy.
The JBU team
Order Form
Christmas Cards 2025
100% of the profit from these cards goes to York Against Cancer
HOW TO ORDER
1. Please make cheques payable to York Against Cancer Trading Co Ltd. (Please do not include payment for Light a lights)
2. Please post your order to York Against Cancer, East Stand, York Stadium, Kathryn Avenue, Huntington, York. YO32 9AF.
3. For all enquiries please contact us on 01904 764466 or email office@yorkagainstcancer.org.uk
4. We aim to dispatch your order a.s.a.p. but please allow 14 days for delivery.
5. Our last order date is the 1st December 2025, please ensure your order is with us by this date.
Please note: Our full range of Christmas cards, greetings cards and gifts are also available to buy at York Community Stadium Monday-Friday - 10am-4pm, Saturday - 9am-1pm and from our shop at York Hospital - Monday to Friday - 10am to 4pm Our Christmas cards and 2026 calendars can also be purchased online via our website.
