Members of Morecambe FC cancer support group to undertake ‘big hike’ for charity
A group of people living through cancer treatment are to undertake a hike for charity.
The group – set up by Morecambe Football Club Community Foundation – includes people who have either recently undergone cancer treatment or are living long term with cancer. and they decided they wanted to give something back to a cancer charity.
And so this Saturday they take part in the Cancer Research UK Big Hike.
Lorraine Thorn, specialist exercise instructor who runs the group, said: “The group were really keen to have a challenge this year – something to train for, but also a way to give back to cancer charities.
“We have participants at varying levels of health and fitness so we wanted something that was fairly accessible to most people, so we decided on a walk and after searching around we settled on The Big Hike – Lake District in aid of Cancer Research UK.
“There will be 12 of us completing the walk and apart from myself everyone has recently undergone cancer treatment or is currently living with cancer long term.
"Eight of us are doing the half marathon and four are doing the 10k walk."
The group was set up in January 2025 by Morecambe Football Club Community Foundation (via the Cancer Alliance) with the aim of getting people with a diagnosis of cancer fitter prior to treatment (prehabilitation), as treatment outcomes and in particular recovery from treatment is much better if people are fitter.
The group is run on a Wednesday afternoon and includes up to an hour of exercise (participants can do as much or as little as they want to during this time) and then an hour of social time over tea, coffee and often homebaked cakes or biscuits.
The group proved so popular that it applied for more funding this year (via EFL in the Community) and expanded the offering to cancer rehabiliation, for people who are undergoing or post treatment to help them to recover and regain fitness and strength.
An extra session is now held on a Monday morning, 9.30-11.30am.
You can donate to the fundraising page online at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/shrimps-versus-cancer
If anyone would like to come along to the weekly group, there is space at the Monday morning group.
They should have a recent diagnosis or be undergoing treatment for cancer.
They can get started by contacting Martin at Morecambe FC Community Foundation on 01524 412125.