As 2025 draws to a close, it’s a great time to look back and reflect on the year that we’ve had. And what a year we’ve had! It’s been a busy year of fundraising and spreading the word of Cancer united, of social gatherings, support groups and so much more. Behind the scenes it’s also been a year of planning, modernising and futureproofing as we constantly evolve and adjust to make sure that we are able to continue to grow, support that growth and in turn, continue to help as many people as possible who have been affected by a Cancer diagnosis.
Here’s what our founder Jan Sheward had to say:
“As we step into 2026 and a brand-new year, I wanted to thank every one of you for being part of the Cancer United community.2025 has been another year of resilience, courage, and connection, and we could not do what we do without you.
Together, we have supported one another through challenges, celebrated progress, and continued to prove the power of community works.As we look ahead to 2026, I feel incredibly optimistic.
There is so much to look forward to as we continue to grow, strengthen our services, and reach even more people living with and beyond cancer. None of this would be possible without your ongoing belief in what Cancer United stands for.“
So let’s take a look at some of our 2025 Highlights:
Social Events
This year we wanted to bring in some new and different social events for our members. These events are a great way to bring people together and have some fun outside of the day to day.
In March we had our first ever Tabletop Horse Racing Night, which was a great success! The event was brought to us by Littlehampton Football Club, and saw lots of local businesses sponsor races and join us on the night as well as lots of our members turning out to join in.
In June we dusted off our denim and cowboy boots and yee-hawed our way through our Barn Dance. This was such a fun event, through which we were expertly guided by Barn Dance band Moves Afoot, who were so brilliant and made everyone feel at ease to have a go at something different.
This year, Dwayne, the king of social gatherings has also done a fantastic job in organising men’s and women’s curry nights, which have always been very popular and lots of fun.
CUFITTER 10
This year we celebrated the tenth birthday of the CUFITTER gym, a milestone worthy of a huge celebration. So in October, we gathered in full force at The Woodland’s Centre in Rustington for an evening of entertainment, laughter, celebration, and getting to show our appreciation to all the special people who work so hard to make Cancer United what it is.
OUTRUNCANCER
Once again, the OUTRUNCANCER team brought two brilliant runs to the Cancer United Calendar.
In February we had the four mile fun run in Arundel, the run we do every year to mark World Cancer Day (4th February ). It’s always a great way to kick off the year as well as raising awareness and helping us to mark an important yearly milestone.
In September comes the ever-popular Angmering run, our biggest run of the year and always such a brilliant day for our community, this year we once again had over 300 runners take part. This run is always so well attended and the staff and volunteers do such a brilliant job to make it all run smoothly (pun intended).
Social Support
This year we launched a brand new support group, CU LIFE BALANCE. This group was started by two of our members/supporters Hannah and Mattia, who realised that there was a lack of support available for people who are juggling life and family commitments but still need access to the vital support of like-minded people who understand what you’re going through. The group has been growing over the year and as well as monthly meet-ups and a Whatsapp group there has also been social events such as a summer barbecue. We are excited to see this group continue to grow over the next year.
Our original Support Group CU Life Plus also continues to go strong. Meeting every other week, with strong attendance by both regular attendees and newcomers, coming along for a laugh and a chat with people who understand what you’re going through.
New Website
Cancer United was so proud to announce the launch of its new website on Wednesday 10th December 2025, marking a significant milestone in the charity’s evolution from a small local organisation to one making national impact.
The redesigned website has been commissioned to support the exponential growth of Cancer United’s work, showcasing the diversity of the charity’s offering and the life-changing impact and benefits it delivers to people affected by cancer.
Christmas Fair
On Sunday 14th December we held our second Christmas Fair at the Woodland’s Centre in Rustington. It was a fantastic and festive day, filled with beautiful crafts, delicious treats and of course an appearance from the man of the season – Father Christmas.v
Fundraising and Events
Throughout the year we have been to countless events and had so many wonderful businesses and individuals fundraising for us. Our OUTPLANTCANCER team had another amazing year, as did the OUTRUNCANCER team who work really hard with all of the volunteers to make these events safe and successful.
Our fundraising queen Yvonne has had another brilliant year of working tirelessly, representing Cancer United at as many community events as possible, shaking buckets, running tombolas and stalls and spreading the word of Cancer United while raising vital funds…She even got to have a go at pulling pints!
We also wanted to say a HUGE Thank you to everyone who has taken on a challenge or fundraised for is in 2025. We’ve had coffee mornings, walking challenges, marathon runners and extremely thoughtful fundraisers when people have thought of us at special milestone moments and raised funds in lieu of gifts.
There is so much more we could say about 2025, and all of the people who have made this such a special year for the charity, but we just wanted to touch on some of the highlights at this time of year that inspires reflection as well as looking towards the new year and the possibilities it has to offer.
So all that’s left to say is a huge Happy New Year to all of our amazing members and supporters, from all of us at Team CU, let’s make it another great one!
