A monthly park run for people whose lives have been affected by cancer celebrates its first anniversary this weekend and has gone from strength to strength.
It’s called 5K Your Way and is held in Greenhead Park in Huddersfield and Shroggs Park near Halifax town centre on the last Saturday of each month at 9am.
Several organisations joined together to make it happen including the Ella Dawson Foundation in Huddersfield, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust’s Cancer Prehabilitation Team, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Charity, Active Calderdale and Third Sector Kirklees which supports charities, voluntary and community groups throughout Kirklees.
The event has been organised with the national Move Against Cancer charity which first launched 5K Your Way in 2018 and now has almost 90 5K Your Way groups throughout the UK and Ireland.
The runs are not fundraisers – it’s all about people getting out, having some exercise and meeting others who have been through similar traumas. People can walk, run, or simply enjoy a chat over a drink.
The aim is to encourage those now living with cancer or have survived it, families, friends, those who have lost a loved one to cancer and people working in cancer services to walk, jog, run, cheer or volunteer. People can do as little or as much as they want on the day and every group is led by at least one volunteer 5K Your Way Ambassador who ensures everyone gets a warm welcome.
Staying active during and after cancer treatment has been shown to reduce fatigue, improve cardiovascular and muscular fitness, alleviate side effects of chemotherapy and even lower the risk of recurrence. Just as importantly, regular physical activity can improve emotional and psychological well-being. The social aspect of 5K Your Way makes it a fun and meaningful way to meet others with similar experiences.
Since its launch, the Huddersfield group has supported 190 people and the Halifax group 126 people with new members welcomed each month.
Stephen Halstead (pictured below), a founding member of the Huddersfield group and former prostate cancer patient at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, said: “A few minutes before 9am you find yourself among your 5K friends and other participants at the Park Run, eagerly awaiting the starting signal.
“In that moment you realise there are possibly hundreds, if not thousands, of others living with cancer around the country who are also awaiting that same sound, making you feel connected to something greater than yourself.
“Whether you run, jog, or walk, being outdoors and exercising alongside understanding individuals creates a sense of camaraderie. Even if you can’t complete the full 5K just do what you can as participation is what matters most. Yet finish the 5K, receive your tag, and have your barcode scanned and the sense of accomplishment is truly gratifying.’’
Nicky Hill, Cancer Prehabilitation Manager at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, added: “5K Your Way is a wonderful group for anyone affected by cancer and the physical and mental health benefits are undeniable. We’ve seen so many friendships blossom and it’s making a difference to so many lives in our community.”
Meet in the parks at 8.45am this Saturday for the first year celebrations with a few birthday surprises to mark the occasion.
The Ella Dawson Foundation was established in February 2022 in memory of Ella (pictured below), a young artist from Slaithwaite who believed passionately in the power of physical, emotional and wellbeing interventions through and beyond a cancer diagnosis.
When Ella died in July 2021 her family acted on her wish to see other young cancer patients supported and launched the foundation, offering physical, psychological, nutritional and wellbeing help for young people during their treatment and for up to two years afterwards so they could live well and feel empowered.
For more information go to Ella Dawson Foundation – Helping young adults live well with cancer
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.
