Meet the team

Steve is a specialist trained in oncology fitness and treating patients with complex medical conditions. Working with patients of all fitness levels, Steve helps them to feel confident and achieve a sense of accomplishment and overall improvement in their wellbeing throughout all stages of their cancer journey. A founding member of the service, Steve manages the team of physical trainers and creates the session content at Active Against Cancer.

Kerry has specialised in oncology since 2014. She has further developed specialist skills in scar therapy and rehabilitation post abdominal surgery with an interest in recovery and rehabilitation following a stoma. Her extensive expertise help support the team to safely manage patients with complex needs. She is a strong proponent of specialist exercise and its role in cancer therapy, helping patients achieve better long-term health outcomes.

Hannah conducts pre and post-treatment assessments and provides a safe, inclusive environment for patients with a cancer diagnosis to help significantly improve their quality of life through physical activity, movement and holistic care. Hannah has experience working with patients requiring medical, surgical and vascular care in her previous role at York Hospital.

Hannah conducts pre and post-treatment assessments and provides a safe, inclusive environment for patients with a cancer diagnosis to help significantly improve their quality of life through physical activity, movement and holistic care.

As the person who deals with our face-to-face and telephone enquiries, Claire will be a familiar face – and voice! – to many of our patients. She has a background in administration and has previously worked in administrative roles in Harrogate Hospital. Claire has empathy and an understanding about the needs of Active Against Cancer’s patients. Claire also oversees our weekly Walk and Talk sessions on Tuesday afternoons.

Having previously worked as a Pilates instructor and PT, Debra’s strong background in fitness is vital in her current role at Active Against Cancer. Debra is also a patient assessor, working with patients at the initial assessment and three-month review. She loves seeing the difference that attending the classes has upon our patients’ physical and mental wellbeing.

James is a strong advocate of functional fitness, mobility and the importance of full body balance. He designs his sessions to have an all-round approach to maintaining and strengthening the body. This helps to focus on strength, power, balance, agility and mobility. It is this approach which he feels helps to improve day-to-day activity for our patients as well as the overall focus on general wellbeing in attending our Active Against Cancer classes. A keen ultra runner himself, James also oversees our regular Active Run sessions.

Charles understands the challenges and obstacles of turning to exercise when you are ill, injured or getting older. He has spent much of his career focusing on how patients can use fitness to improve and maintain their quality of life. He believes that fitness is a key element in tackling illness and facilitating physical recovery, as well as improving mental wellbeing. He brings this passion to his Active Against Cancer classes, helping people regain their strength and maintain their health whilst ensuring the experience is fun for our patients.

Jane feels great motivation when she can see how patients benefit from the increased strength, coordination and cardiovascular fitness of attending classes. Making patients feel safe, and being able to modify training to suit a person or class is a keen focus for her to ensure everyone feels strong and confident when training. While she is focusing on the physical strength of patients, Jane also believes that the fun and safe environment of her Active Against Cancer classes enhances mental wellbeing as well as building physical strength.

During her career, Emma has specialised in MSK and cardiac rehabilitation and enjoys helping patients manage their pain and strengthen their bodies. She is a member of the BACPR Exercise Instructor Network which supports cardiac rehab instructors nationwide. Her classes at Active Against Cancer always provide a supportive, encouraging and understanding environment.

Hannah knows that exercise is a powerful tool to help balance, uplift and empower people in their lives. In her Active Against Cancer classes she is passionate about helping people to discover or rediscover their love of exercise and realise what a benefit exercise can be to our patients’ bodies and minds, especially in challenging times.

An experienced yoga teacher with training in low back care and sports yoga, Aimee’s yoga training complements her delivery of pre and post-treatment cancer exercise classes. She is committed to providing accessible, inclusive classes where everyone feels that they belong.

A qualified personal trainer with an exercise referral qualification, Charlotte has previously worked with clients living with osteopenia and arthritis and enjoys supporting people with health conditions to stay active. She loves encouraging her patients to celebrate the small wins as their fitness improves.

A personal trainer who worked with former Active against Cancer patients as they progressed to using a gym, Izzy I’Anson became interested in working more closely with our service, supporting patients both physically and mentally to improve their quality of life through movement.

With twenty years’ experience in the fitness industry, Sandra loves delivering fitness sessions at Active Against Cancer in Ripon, where she motivates and energises people going through a difficult time in their lives, and supports their ongoing physical and mental health.

A Consultant in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine, Tom Collyer is also founder of Active Against Cancer and is the service’s Clinical Lead. He is passionate about the importance of integrating exercise into the standard pathway of care for patients with cancer.

Dr Emma Radcliffe was a founding member of the Active Against Cancer Service and had a pivotal role in getting the service up and running when it was launched as a pilot scheme in 2019.