Peter Masling, from Firth Park in Sheffield, was introduced to the service after he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
Peter said: “Active Together has had a big impact on my life. The service helped me recover tremendously from my cancer treatment and I’m now more active. I feel more like myself than before.”
Active Together helps people with cancer prepare for and recover from treatment through the provision of evidence-based physical activity, nutrition and psychological wellbeing support.
The service is designed to ensure people are as fit and healthy as possible before treatment, meaning they may have more treatment options available to them, have a shorter stay in hospital and fewer side effects and complications from treatment. It also supports people to recover from cancer treatment more effectively, helping to reduce the risk of cancer coming back in the future.
Active Together, which has supported more than 300 patients from across Sheffield over the last 12 months, was designed by researchers at Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) and is delivered in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Peter explained: “I went for a check-up with my GP and told them that for the past few weeks I’d been feeling really exhausted. Initially I thought it was just because I was working long days as a chef, and it was winter, so it was dark a lot of the time.
“They referred me for tests and found that I had a growth on my gullet. They then did further tests which confirmed that it was cancer.”
It was decided that Peter would have chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat the cancer.
The 64-year-old was referred to the Active Together service before he started his treatment.
He continued: “I was quite anxious and apprehensive before going to Active Together for the first time, but as soon as I arrived everyone was so helpful and kind. They really put me at ease.
“Active Together helped me overcome my fatigue. When I was going through treatment, I was very tired, and I’d lost a lot of weight. They designed a programme to help get me back to where I was, to help with the fatigue and build up my strength. I’ve got a lot more energy now because of it.
“They tailored everything to me, and I really enjoyed the activities. I was walking on the treadmill and using the cycling machine as well as doing weight exercises. I found the exercises gave me more energy, more zest for life and they just kept me going. I’m really feeling the benefits.”
The Active Together approach, based on the latest academic research, sees patients receive a personalised plan including tailored guidance on exercise, nutrition, and psychological and emotional support before, during and after treatment. It provides individuals with the tools and resources they need to be able to independently manage their health and wellbeing in the long term.
Peter continued: “I’ve found that Active Together has been helpful mentally. It gets you ready for the operation or treatment and it does help you get through a really difficult time.
“I attended a course about managing emotions which I found very enlightening. I also received advice from a dietitian which was helpful, and I’m eating much better now.”
Peter has now finished his cancer treatment and has continued to receive support from the Active Together team.
He added: “I think I will be more active with the help of Active Together going forward. I will keep doing the exercises and keep walking and trying to be mentally positive.”
Professor Rob Copeland, Director of Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, said: “Prehabilitation and rehabilitation has been shown to be safe and have a significant impact on outcomes for cancer patients undergoing treatment. We know programmes like Active Together help patients cope with surgery, spend less time in hospital as a result and can prepare them well for their post- treatment journey. A key factor is providing patients with a much-needed sense of control, which long-term helps build resilience and sustained participation in healthy nutrition choices and physical activity.”
Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “In recent years, it has become very clear that exercise plays a vital role in improving cancer survival rates, and that physical activity programmes should be prescribed to people with cancer in the same way as other treatments.
“At Yorkshire Cancer Research, our aim is for more people to survive cancer in Yorkshire. Together with the pioneering team at Sheffield’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, we are taking a huge leap into creating a world-leading programme that can be introduced across Yorkshire and beyond, helping to save many lives.”
Carol Keen, Clinical Lead for Active Together at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals said: “It’s fantastic to see how Active Together has grown over the last twelve months. We began with a pilot of a small number of patients and now the service is supporting hundreds of patients with a range of needs. We are helping people from across South Yorkshire to get ready for their cancer treatment, and then to recover from it afterwards so that they can get back to doing the things that are important to them – walking with friends, going to work, being a grandparent. We’re now planning to expand the service to include more patients and more types of cancer in the next year so that more people can benefit.”
To participate in the service, patients need to be referred to Active Together by their Clinical Nurse Specialist.
The £16 million Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, based at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the population through innovations that help people move. Its mission is to prevent and treat chronic disease through co-designed research into physical activity, whilst also attracting new jobs and investment to the region.
