To mark Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June 2026), Yorkshire Cancer Research celebrated the hundreds of volunteers who play a vital role in making ground-breaking discoveries and progress in cancer research in Yorkshire possible.
From enthusiastic cheer squads at sporting events and dedicated shop volunteers welcoming customers, to passionate local volunteer groups and those who share their personal experiences to help shape the charity’s work, each volunteer helps to save lives in Yorkshire.
“I volunteer to uplift other people following my own cancer diagnosis”- Suzy Aung, Leeds
Volunteering with the Yorkshire Cancer Research cheer station team is how Suzy Aung likes to show support for charity fundraisers taking part in sporting events.
Suzy said: “I recently volunteered at the Leeds Half Marathon and loved the atmosphere and energy. Everyone is doing their best, whether they’re a runner or one of the volunteers supporting the race. You get to cheer people on, dance around and just have fun, all while supporting important cancer research in Yorkshire.”
Suzy wants to help people with cancer in her region because in 2023, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at aged just 26. Living far from her family in Myanmar, she found it challenging to navigate her diagnosis and treatment.
Suzy continued: “It was really hard when I was told I had cervical cancer, especially because of how young I was and how far away my family are. Thankfully, I was diagnosed early. I was able to have a small operation, which was successful, and I now attend regular check-ups to monitor my health.”
Yorkshire Cancer Research funds vital screening initiatives to detect and diagnose cancer sooner when it’s often easier to treat. This included the Leeds GP Confederation’s Cancer Screening and Awareness Programme, which helped people living in the city’s eight most deprived areas access life-saving cancer screening. Many of these were women from culturally diverse communities who are less likely to attend their cervical screening appointment when invited due to factors such as anxiety around the process and practical difficulties in booking an appointment.
Suzy said: “Life happens and I’m just happy to be cancer-free. It’s important I now help Yorkshire Cancer Research raise awareness, so more cancers can be found as early as possible. I want to be someone who uplifts other people, and volunteering is how I can do that.”
After moving to Leeds to study for her master’s degree in finance, volunteering with Yorkshire Cancer Research also became a way for Suzy to connect with others while living away from her loved ones.
Suzy said: “I saw my family for the first time in five years this April, and it’s been hard to live so far away from them. That’s why I enjoy meeting people as a charity volunteer. Everyone has their own experience which motivates them; I really like listening to what others have to share. The sense of community within the Yorkshire Cancer Research team is amazing.”
“I volunteer to help improve early cancer diagnosis” – Emma Jackson, York
For over 75 years, people in local volunteer groups across Yorkshire have worked tirelessly to support life-saving cancer research in their region, helping more people live longer, healthier lives, free of cancer.
As a committed member of her local Yorkshire Cancer Research volunteer group in Galtres, 60-year-old Emma Jackson, from York, is proud to be a part of its rich history. She has helped organise cake stalls, quizzes and afternoon teas among other events over the last decade, raising vital funds for new cancer cures in Yorkshire.
Emma said: “The Galtres local volunteer group is a well-oiled machine. We all have our different strengths and skills to bring. Whether some people have been here five years, or others over 50, we all want the same thing. We want to help save lives in Yorkshire. The camaraderie of the group is really motivating.”
Emma’s commitment to pioneering research grew after she went for a scan and was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022. Following successful surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she became involved in the Yorkshire Cancer Research Bowel Cancer Improvement Programme, which aims to improve the way bowel cancer is diagnosed and treated across different hospitals in Yorkshire.
Emma said: “The researchers working with Yorkshire Cancer Research are brilliant and so inspiring. As someone personally affected by cancer, I feel reassured seeing their commitment to improving bowel cancer treatment, diagnosis and care. Now I’ve seen what our efforts in the volunteer group do, I’m even more passionate about spreading the word. It takes all of us coming together to help save lives in Yorkshire, and beyond.”
Thankfully, Emma was able to finish treatment the same day and in the same hospital her granddaughter was born. In addition to spending time with her grandchildren, Emma has become a proud advocate for early diagnosis, raising awareness about the importance of at-home bowel cancer screening tests during local volunteer group events.
Emma concluded: “The sooner cancer is found, the easier it is to treat. When I was first diagnosed, I was so worried I wouldn’t see my grandchildren grow up. Now, every year with them feels like a privilege. The Yorkshire Cancer Research volunteer group in Galtres was founded in 1970, and it’s amazing to think how much progress in cancer research has happened during that time. I’m excited to see how our efforts will continue to help future generations.”
“I volunteer to help families like mine affected by cancer” – Alastair Kennedy, Horsforth
Wednesday is the highlight of Alastair Kennedy’s week. It’s the day he takes to the road in the Yorkshire Cancer Research delivery van, helping to keep the charity’s network of 18 shops stocked with preloved treasures.
Since joining in 2022, the grandfather-of-four has become an essential part of the Yorkshire Cancer Research team.
Thanks to Alastair’s dedication, people across Yorkshire can browse and buy fresh collections of high-quality items in their local shop, with every purchase helping to raise funds for pioneering cancer research in the region.
Alastair: “My role means I get to travel through this fine county of ours and visit the charity’s thriving shops. I’m at my best when I’m busy, which is why Wednesdays are my most satisfying day of the week – first, spending my day volunteering to support life-saving research and finishing with taking the grandkids swimming! Over the last four years of volunteering, I’ve formed great friendships. I enjoy it tremendously.”
Alastair is motivated to volunteer in memory of his wife Vicki, who sadly passed away from a late-stage cancer in October 2021.
For Alastair, research which helps more people in Yorkshire survive their cancer is vital. The pioneering FOxTROT 2 and 3 bowel cancer clinical trials, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and led by researchers at the University of Leeds, are exploring how chemotherapy before surgery can reduce complications and the likelihood of their cancer returning. Delivered at hospitals across Yorkshire and beyond, the trials are helping to bring gold-standard, potentially life-saving treatment to people with bowel cancer.
Alastair continued: “Vicki was born and bred Yorkshire. After my wife died, I decided to volunteer to support research that helps families like mine in the region spend more time together. While volunteering, I’ve had the chance to learn about some of the pioneering clinical trials funded by the charity, including FOxTROT, which makes what we do so rewarding.”
Inspired by one their son’s love of rugby, Alastair also organises an annual game to commemorate Vicki’s birthday, where he awards the man of the match the ‘English Rose Trophy’ – named after her favourite lipstick. This year, over 100 of Alastair’s friends and family came together to take part, over the last three years they have raised £5,800 to help fund life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire.
Alaistair concluded: “There is something very rewarding to volunteering, especially when you have lost a loved one to cancer far too early. I genuinely give my all when I’m volunteering with Yorkshire Cancer Research. I really feel like I’m helping to save lives in Yorkshire.”
“I volunteer for new developments in cancer screening” – Becky Crookes, Sheffield
Over the last year, Yorkshire Cancer Research volunteers have generously contributed more than 42,000 hours of their time and have helped raise £2.4 million to fund new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
When Yorkshire Cancer Research opened the doors of its first South Yorkshire shop at Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre in Sheffield, 36-year-old Becky Crookes was excited to join the team. As a mother of six, volunteering is an opportunity to try something different for herself outside of the home.
Becky said: “Family is everything to me – my life revolves around them. However, we all need a break from the chaos of family life and volunteering at the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop gives me just that. It’s my time to be ‘me’ instead of mum.”
Since November 2025, Becky has developed new skills such as pricing products, creating eye-catching window displays and serving customers on the till. Becky’s enthusiasm to get stuck in has been fuelled by how cancer has impacted her loved ones. Her dad is currently receiving treatment for bladder cancer, and her mum sadly died from breast cancer in November 2022.
Becky said: “When my mum was rushed to hospital, we never could have thought it was cancer. She was diagnosed with cancer on the Monday and passed away on the Friday. It was incredibly traumatic for all of us.”
Becky, whose two grandmothers and uncle also had breast cancer, is interested to learn more about her family history of cancer and welcomes a new ground-breaking genetic screening trial, PROTECT-C, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.
The PROTECT-C trial will offer tests to thousands of people living in Yorkshire to see whether they have a genetic change that increases their risk of breast, ovary, bowel and womb cancer. The results could transform the way people, and their families, discover they are at a higher genetic risk, meaning they can take the steps to prevent or detect their cancer early.
Becky said: “Volunteering for a charity funding such ground-breaking work into genetic screening means so much. I would gladly sign up for an opportunity to take part in a trial like this because, if I was found to have a genetic change, I would want to have as many options as possible. It feels amazing to know our volunteering has helped contribute towards innovation like this happening here in our region. The more we help, the more research we can support and the more lives we can help save.”
“I volunteer to learn about new research in our region” – Tracy Lister, Hull
Before research projects receive funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research, the proposal is reviewed by a group of dedicated volunteers who have experience of cancer. The charity’s Research Advisory Panel plays a crucial role in assessing whether applications align with the charity’s mission to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer more effectively in Yorkshire. Working together with scientific experts, people with experience of cancer help ensure research which will have the biggest impact on cancer for people in Yorkshire is funded.
One panel member is 64-year-old Tracy Lister, from Hull, who has been helping the charity find and bring new cancer cures to Yorkshire since 2021.
Tracy said: “You get so much out of being on the panel. You gain knowledge about ground-breaking research you would have never been exposed to otherwise and vital insight into how cancer affects people and their families. Everyone I’ve met has been lovely, and together we’ve helped make sure some really exciting new research will benefit people in our region.”
For Tracy, witnessing pioneering developments on the charity’s Research Advisory Panel is a reminder of how much has changed since her brother-in-law, Steve, sadly passed away from lung cancer 14 years ago.
Tracy said: “Steve was the same age as me; we went to school together. Lung cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms at an early stage, which is why his cancer went unnoticed for so long. I still think of him today.”
Tracy was initially invited onto the Research Advisory Panel due to her involvement in the PEOPLE-HULL research study, which explored ways of encouraging people who smoke or used to smoke to see their doctor sooner when they had potential lung cancer symptoms. Led by experts at Hull York Medical School and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, the study aimed to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in the city, which sadly has the highest rate of lung cancer deaths in Yorkshire.
Tracy said: “I was feeling discomfort in my chest, and as I was an ex-smoker, it did worry me. It thankfully wasn’t lung cancer, but from there I began helping out with the PEOPLE-HULL study to encourage more people to see their GP about lung cancer symptoms.”
“I remember one lady who, after I’d chatted with her, went for a lung health check which detected her cancer early. It was such an indescribable moment to find out I’d helped save her life. Without funding for the PEOPLE-HULL study from Yorkshire Cancer Research, that moment could not have happened.”
Thanks to early cancer diagnosis, Tracy was also able to enjoy more moments with her dad.
“My dad was also diagnosed with lung cancer, but as it was caught early, we had another 10 years together. When I was asked to volunteer on the Research Advisory Panel, I knew I wanted to continue to support the charity’s life-saving work.”
Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “Yorkshire Cancer Research could not fund ground-breaking new cancer cures for people in Yorkshire – and beyond – without the dedication of volunteers. The experiences of Suzy, Emma, Alastair, Becky, and Tracy highlight not only the wide range of opportunities available, but also the vital role volunteers play. Every hour generously given through volunteering helps the charity move one step closer towards its vision of a Yorkshire free from cancer.”
To find out how you can volunteer with Yorkshire Cancer Research and help save lives in Yorkshire, visit www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/volunteer