Jen and Tom's Race for Life 10K

We're raising as much as we can to beat cancer

Story

We are lifelong supporters of Cancer Research UK following Jen's mum's battle with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2006. Their amazing work and research helped her survive and she celebrated 15 years cancer free in 2022! Sadly not everyone is so lucky. While huge progress has been made in cancer treatment over the last 50 years, the UK is seriously lagging behind and has the worst survival rate in five cancers, out of several countries in Europe. Diagnosis waiting times are far too long and nearly half of all patients are diagnosed at Stage 3 and 4, when prognosis is far bleaker. This isn't helped by the intense pressure on an under-resourced NHS, as well as lack of investment in the equipment and staff needed to diagnose and treat cancer effectively. Cancer is also not always hereditary: it can be triggered by a range of environmental factors, such as diet, lifestyle or exposure to carcinogenic materials (some of which are in everyday products). Even if you aren't currently at risk of developing cancer, there is no guarantee that you will never develop it. Cancer Research UK's chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, estimates that "half a million people. . .will be diagnosed with the disease every year by 2040". We need to aid Cancer Research and other similar charities as much as we possibly can, to ensure they can continue their lifesaving work and give those people a fighting chance of survival. We have dedicated 2024 to raising £2,000 for Cancer Research UK. This sounds a lot but is one tiny step supporting pioneering research in over 200 types of cancer and the treatments needed to fight them. Jen's mum went through a tough cancer battle. Her dad is now being treated for prostate cancer and Tom recently had a cancer scare. This could happen to any one of us. It is crucial that we do what we can to make sure that the people we love get the best treatment when they most need it.