The Middlesbrough FC Foundation's cancer fitness programme has moved beyond its original brief, securing English Football League backing to become part of the national Versus Cancer scheme after supporting 55 patients in its first nine months of operation.

What the programme does

Launched in January and held twice a week at the Riverside Stadium, the sessions focus on building the physical resilience of cancer patients before and after treatment. The format splits each session in two: the first half is devoted to walking, weight training and cardio work; the second gives participants the chance to sit together and talk openly about their experiences.

The project was initially funded by the Foundation itself in partnership with University Hospitals Tees (UHT), which provides patient referrals through its Optimise programme. In September, EFL funding brought the initiative formally under the Versus Cancer umbrella, a scheme operating at football clubs across the country. A new strand of post-treatment rehabilitation and recovery sessions has since been added, in partnership with the Northern Cancer Alliance.

What the numbers show

Chloe McMurray, personalised cancer care prehabilitation lead for UHT, reported that 67% of patients who engaged with the Foundation's groups felt more confident in their physical strength and energy to handle treatment recovery. She also noted measurable improvements in respiratory scores and a reduction in anxiety scores across the cohort.

Those are meaningful figures. A two-thirds confidence rate among people facing some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable suggests the programme is doing something right, and the physiological markers back up what participants say they feel.

The voices behind the statistics

Lindsey Palmer, 55, from Redcar, was referred to the group three weeks before her lumpectomy in March, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in January. She returned to sessions just four days after her surgery.

"It saved my life," she said. "You wouldn't understand how it's saved me." Palmer described feeling isolated after her diagnosis and spoke of the stigma she encountered around discussing it. Finding a room full of people who genuinely understood made the difference, she said, and she now helps others who are joining the group for the first time.

Paul Hampson, 69, from Middlesbrough, was referred in January following a bladder cancer diagnosis. He described the sessions as "a little safe place for a couple of hours, twice a week" and has lost two stone since joining, a change he credits with helping him through his treatment.

Matty Carr, healthier communities coordinator at the MFC Foundation, is clear that the physical gains are only part of the story. "They get to have a conversation with like-minded people, people who are going through the same journey as them," he said. In his view, the reduction in anxiety the sessions produce prepares participants mentally, not just physically, for what lies ahead.

What it means for the Foundation

Football club foundations vary enormously in what they actually deliver, and it is fair to be sceptical of headline-grabbing community announcements that amount to little. This one is harder to dismiss. Independent referral data from UHT, quantified health outcomes, and participant testimony that extends well beyond a press release all point to a programme with genuine substance.

The EFL funding that arrived in September gives the work a more stable footing and links it into a wider national network. Whether that network can sustain and scale what Middlesbrough has built locally remains to be seen, but the first-year evidence from the Riverside is encouraging by any measure.

For a club whose community foundation has now become a formal partner in NHS-adjacent cancer care, it represents a significant expansion of what a Championship club's off-pitch operation can look like.

Frequently asked

What is the Middlesbrough FC Foundation cancer fitness programme?
It is a twice-weekly exercise and support group run by the Middlesbrough FC Foundation for cancer patients, helping them build physical strength and mental resilience before and after treatment. Patients are referred through University Hospitals Tees and sessions are held at the Riverside Stadium.
How can cancer patients join the Middlesbrough FC Foundation programme?
Patients are referred through University Hospitals Tees' Optimise programme. If you or a family member are undergoing cancer treatment in the Tees area, speak to your clinical team about a referral to the prehabilitation group.
Is the MFC Foundation Versus Cancer scheme funded by the EFL?
Yes. In September 2026 the programme received funding from the English Football League to become part of the national Versus Cancer scheme, which operates at football clubs across the country. It now also covers post-treatment rehabilitation in partnership with the Northern Cancer Alliance.