New partnership is set to support cancer patients in Doncaster
A partnership between Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT) and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH) will see a pioneering cancer support service, Active Together, offered from Doncaster Dome.
The Active Together service offers free, personalised fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing support to help people with cancer prepare for, respond to, and recover after treatment. This innovative programme, which has already assisted over 1,000 people in Sheffield, has now expanded to serve the Doncaster and Bassetlaw area.
Developed by experts at Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre with funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research, Active Together aims to increase cancer treatment options, reduce side-effects, speed up recovery, and improve long-term health outcomes.
Michael Hart, chief executive of DCLT, said: "We are thrilled to work with DBTH to offer this vital Active Together service from Doncaster Dome and we are looking
forward to welcoming the cancer prehab team to the site.
“DCLT's mission is to help people across the city focus on their health, fitness, and wellbeing, and this service truly fits into our ethos."
The expansion of Active Together to Doncaster, along with Barnsley and Rotherham, is made possible by an additional £4 million funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research. The charity's long-term vision is for everyone with a cancer diagnosis in Yorkshire to benefit from these services.
Evidence suggests that exercise after a cancer diagnosis can reduce the risk of dying from cancer by as much as 47% compared to those who are less active. It can also reduce the risk of cancer coming back by as much as 66%.
Toni Peet, Lead Cancer Nurse at Doncaster Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital, commented: "We are very happy and excited to be offering the Active Together service from a new base at Doncaster Dome. This will make it easier for our patients to access the service as a local community approach.
“Being part of Active Together means that we can expand on our existing service and help more patients diagnosed with cancer. Patients will not only be physically fitter but also mentally stronger before entering their initial treatment phase, which will have a lasting positive effect when recovering."
Active Together becomes the latest health partner DCLT is working with across the City of Doncaster, including local GP Practices and Cardiac Rehabilitation, to support access to services in the community.
The Active Together service is now available at Doncaster Dome. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and want to know if Active Together is right for you, find out more on the dedicated website https://www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/active-together
