The Baton for Yorkshire has officially begun its journey from Hull, marking the launch of We Walk for Yorkshire – the annual walking fundraising campaign from Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Setting off from the heart of the city, the baton will now travel across 35 Yorkshire locations throughout May, carried by people with cancer, researchers and charity supporters, in recognition of the 35,000 people diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire each year.
The month-long Yorkshire-wide relay was launched at the new Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre in Hull, which offers Active Together, the pioneering cancer exercise treatment service funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, to help people prepare for and recover from their cancer treatment.
The Active Together Hull team were joined by charity supporters and cancer experts from the local area and beyond, each united by a shared commitment to help save lives in Hull and across Yorkshire.
Alongside raising vital funds for life-saving cancer research, the We Walk for Yorkshire baton relay offers people with experience of cancer – either personally or through a loved one – the opportunity to hold the baton for someone or something special to them.
Each baton-bearer will be invited to share a name of who they are walking for and place personal messages inside the baton as it makes its journey across the region.
Among the first to take part was Josie Clark, from near Bridlington, who helped lead the launch of the relay as the Baton for Yorkshire set off on its journey across Yorkshire. She was joined by the Active Together team and people from the charity.
Josie then passed the baton to Dr Cecilia Pompili and a team of researchers at the Hull York Medical School, who are pioneering a new clinical trial for people with lung cancer in Hull and Leeds. Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, the study will explore whether exercise during treatment can help more people go on to have life-saving surgery.
For Josie, carrying the Baton for Yorkshire is a way to enjoy time outdoors and reclaim moments she lost to her cancer.
After finding a lump on her leg in May 2025, 60-year-old Josie was told she had nodular melanoma, a fast-growing type of skin cancer. Following surgery in June to remove the lump, Josie went for a check-up scan in August, which showed the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.
Josie said: “Within a matter of weeks, I had a lump the size of a golf ball. Thankfully, the immunotherapy I had to treat it shrank it down to basically nothing. I feel grateful for cancer research which has helped develop treatments like this. It’s been intense, but I like to keep positive.”
Before Josie was diagnosed with cancer, she was an avid runner, competing in various 5k races with her friends. Since turning 57, Josie had also attended 96 parkruns, a beloved part of her weekly routine she sadly had to give up during treatment.
Josie continued: “I love getting out in the fresh air and the adrenaline of being active. My favourite part of parkrun is the coffee afterwards. Exercise brings everyone together – you get to know those who attend and make real friends. It’s a lovely social event.”
Now, as part of this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire challenge, Josie has set herself the goal of completing 35 miles for the 35,000 people in Yorkshire each year who are told they have cancer.
Josie concluded: “The Yorkshire coast and countryside is a wonderful place to walk. It’s very rural where I live, with lots of trails along water, and I like what it does for your mind; walking is so mentally beneficial for you.”
Sadly, people in Yorkshire are more likely to have their lives cut short by cancer than almost anywhere else in England. Sadly, Hull remains one of the areas in Yorkshire hardest hit by cancer. Every week, 83 people are diagnosed with cancer in Hull and East Riding and sadly, 38 people die from it.
Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding £75m of vital cancer research to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in Yorkshire. These life-giving medical breakthroughs are helping more people live longer, healthier lives, free from cancer.
Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added: “Every year, 35,000 people in Yorkshire are told they have cancer, and far too many people in our region lose loved ones to the disease. But thanks to continued investment in research, we’re seeing real progress, with new breakthroughs and discoveries leading to better treatments and cures which give people more precious time together.
“The Baton for Yorkshire is a visible reminder of the progress made possible thanks to pioneering research but the work that still needs to be done. Every person who carries the baton plays a vital role in the charity’s life-saving mission to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in Yorkshire.
“Yorkshire Cancer Research is grateful to everyone taking part in this Yorkshire‑wide relay as part of this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire fundraising challenge. Covering the largest county in England is no small challenge, and it’s inspiring to see baton‑bearers from North, South, East and West Yorkshire all coming together to support the charity’s work.
“As the baton travels across the region throughout May, the charity hopes it will inspire even more people to support life-saving research and help move us closer to a Yorkshire free from cancer.”
Follow the Baton for Yorkshire as it travels across the region and support life-saving cancer research in the region: Yorkshire Cancer Research – Baton for Yorkshire