IT was back on February 4 2002, when actress Gaynor Faye was the special VIP guest to help launch brand-new charity, Cancer Research UK, following the merger between Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research Campaign.
Gaynor was pictured with two of the charity’s volunteers, Molly and Sheila, outside the former Imperial Cancer Research Fund shop on Town Street, Horsforth, which was now proudly showing off the new Cancer Research UK name and logo.
Now 20 years on, Gaynor, a long-time ambassador and supporter of the charity, was invited back to Horsforth to officially celebrate Cancer Research UK’s 20th anniversary - by recreating the original picture in the style of the popular social media ‘Then and Now’ trend.
Joining Gaynor this time, with the charity’s refreshed logo, were Helen Willetts, 69, a volunteer of 32 years and Rachel Cross, 50, who has volunteered for 10 years.
And they also proudly wore Unity Bands to mark World Cancer Day - an international initiative uniting people across the globe to take action against the disease – which is also on 4 February each year.
The Unity Bands are available in all Cancer Research UK shops and are a way of showing solidarity with those affected by cancer. They come in three different colours, pink, navy and blue, for a suggested donation of £2. They can be worn in memory of a loved one, to celebrate people who’ve overcome cancer or in support of those going through treatment.
Although formed in 2002, Cancer Research UK’s history dates back to the founding of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in 1902. Its work has been at the heart of some of the biggest developments in cancer, from radiotherapy to some of the most used cancer drugs around the world today.
Gaynor, who has just finished starring in a UK stage tour of Looking Good Dead, knows first-hand just how important new discoveries are to help more people survive. She sadly lost her beloved grandparents to cancer and like most people, has other family and friends who have been affected by the disease.
She said: “It was an honour to be asked to launch Cancer Research UK back in 2002 and I can’t believe 20 years have already passed. To be invited back to recreate the picture was also very personal and poignant for me, a reminder of how many people very close to me who’ve had cancer in these last 20 years – but also how thankful I am that because of all the advances in research, most of them are still here with me.”
Every year, around 33,300 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire and The Humber. By donating or getting a Unity Band, people in Yorkshire can help Cancer Research UK to keep making breakthroughs such as this, as it fights back from the impact of the pandemic.
Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire, joined the charity in 2000 when it was Imperial Cancer Research Fund and was there in 2002 and 2022 when each of these pictures were taken and is herself a cancer survivor said: “So much has been achieved over these last 20 years. But this past year proves, more than any other, the value of investing in science and medical research. Thanks to our supporters, we’ve achieved so much. Every day we see the benefits of research we’ve previously funded being realised, helping people live longer and healthier lives.
“1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime, so we will never stop striving to create better treatments for tomorrow. That’s why, as we mark our anniversary this World Cancer Day, we hope people across Leeds will wear a Unity Band with pride - knowing they are helping to save and improve lives for generations to come. We've come so far. And we will go much further. Together we will beat cancer.”
Cancer Research UK spent over £5 million in Yorkshire last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.
Unity Bands are available in Cancer Research UK shops and online at cruk.org/worldcancerday for a suggested donation of £2.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here