Morecambe FC joins clubs helping people prepare for cancer treatment

From January, the club community organisations (CCOs) of the region’s eight English Football League sides will all be offering free ‘prehab’ training sessions to adult cancer patients with the goal of improving their health and fitness ahead of oncological care or surgery.

The one-year pilot programme, launched in collaboration with the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board Cancer Alliance, will see the community organisations from Accrington Stanley, Barrow AFC, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool FC, Burnley FC, Fleetwood Town, Morecambe FC, and Preston North End hosting two-hour sessions aimed at encouraging patients to be more active as well as offering a chance for social and mental wellbeing support.

Faye Bennett, cancer quality improvement lead for the Cancer Alliance, said: “Prehabilitation, or preventative rehabilitation is well documented to improve quality of life for cancer patients and patient outcomes.”

Susan Saul, clinical lead physiotherapist for prehabilitation, said: “Proven benefits of increasing fitness and optimising health ahead of surgery can include reduced side effects of treatment, a reduced risk of complications, shorter length of stay and a quicker recovery.

“There was very little service in our area, so we were looking at ways to offer prehab across our entire region. In working with all our Football League CCOs, we can do just that. I have been working with the organisations for around 18 months now, and we are all excited to be able to deliver this in January.”

The sessions will consist of group exercise for the first half, tailored to suit the individuals in attendance. The second half will be a chance to sit down for a cup of tea and a chat with support staff and fellow patients.

Patients aged 18 and over will be able to self-refer onto the sessions, and oncologists, surgeons, clinical nurse specialists, multi-disciplinary teams, clinical reference groups and Macmillan staff will also have the details of the sessions taking place at their local clubs. As spaces are limited, booking is essential.

Stuart Glover, chief executive officer at Morecambe FC Community Foundation, said: “Morecambe FC’s Community Foundation is delighted to be part of this pan-Lancashire and South Cumbria cancer rehabilitation programme.

"Our weekly two-hour session will be held at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, home of Morecambe FC, on Wednesday afternoons from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Trained, friendly staff will be on hand to provide a moderate intensity activity session followed a by a good brew and a natter with people on their health improvement journey.”

For full details of the available sessions, look out for posts on local NHS and the football clubs’ social media or ask your local cancer health professionals.

The Lancashire and South Integrated Care Board is the statutory NHS organisation responsible for developing plans to meet the population's health needs, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services across the region.

The work being undertaken builds on the successful work by all our health and care organisations and the ICB replaces the eight clinical commissioning groups previously in place in Lancashire and south Cumbria.