Honorary Fellowships - Events

Volunteering at our events for 24 years

‘‘Brian has supported our Essex events since 1999. Brian is a fountain of knowledge and shares his vast experience with volunteers and Event Assistants to ensure the smooth delivery of our events. He has such a friendly, calming nature - nothing is too much trouble for Brian. He’s a true ambassador to Cancer Research UK, always spreading the word of the work that the charity does at any given opportunity. His commitment over the years is incredible. Attending most of Essex’s events every year, he continually strives to support our cause. We’d be lost without him."

Volunteering at our events for 13 years

‘‘As an event volunteer, Jayne makes everyone feel welcome and special. Jayne participated in Race for Life while her father was battling cancer and after he died in March 2010, she signed up for the Shine London half marathon and was encouraged over the finish line by volunteers – from that point on Jayne’s been one of these event volunteers, knowing what a difference it makes to participants. Every year, on the anniversary of losing her father, Jayne signs up to help out at Shine London and various Race for Life events. Her proudest moment was giving her son his medal after he completed the full Shine London marathon with her brother."

Volunteering at our events for 15 years

"Julia has been volunteering at Race for Life Plymouth for over 15 years, and during this time has been dedicated to supporting the events team each year with course set-up and providing integral insight and knowledge on event day. Julia arrives at the crack of dawn and takes on any job that needs doing with pride, commitment and pure kindness. Over the years Julia has encouraged friends and family to bring along volunteers to help, and even Julia’s children are now a part of the volunteering team. Julia is an absolute champion for Cancer Research UK and a true credit to the team."

Volunteering at our events for 10 years

‘‘Karen and her husband John have volunteered at our Race for Life event in Harlow for over 10 years. Karen often takes the lead in the Enquiries Marquee, whilst John helps in the finish area.  They carry out their roles expertly, making a significant contribution to the event. Karen and John now also support at several other events in the area, demonstrating their commitment to the charity. They are very welcoming to new volunteers and are brilliant in all that they do - they are highly valued members of our event day team."

Volunteering at our events for 20 years

‘‘As a volunteer host at Race for Life for more than 20 years, Kevin creates a fun, warm atmosphere at our events. He forms great connections with our participants, getting to know them before they run and greeting them as they cross the finish line. Kevin promotes our events on his radio station and to local running groups, gaining us extra volunteers if we are running low. He’s an enthusiastic and committed volunteer who shares his insightful feedback to help make our events even better for participants each season – and he always represents in pink."

Volunteering at our events for 20 years

"Alongside her career as a radio broadcaster, Laura has been volunteering as a Race for Life stage host in the South-West for the last 20 years. Laura first got involved with Cancer Research UK through a previous employer and has returned year after year to host stages at events in Yeovil, Taunton and Weston-Super-Mare. Laura is an inspiration to the events team, waking up early in all weathers with a beaming smile on her face to support participants during their event. She is full of kindness and a ball of energy, and a true credit to the volunteering team"

Volunteering at our events for 17 years

‘‘Linda has supported CRUK since 2006, initially volunteering at the Leigh Race for Life in the North-West. After losing her husband to cancer in 2017, she moved to Sussex and brought her wealth of experience and her passion to our Race for Life events along the South Coast. It’s not possible to over-emphasise what a difference it makes to have someone like Linda support us on event day. She’s knowledgeable, hard-working and reassuring and quietly works behind the scenes to ensure everyone completes the distance safely. We are so lucky to have Linda’s support and incredibly grateful for all that she’s done for CRUK."

Volunteering at our events for 15 years

‘‘Mandy has volunteered with Cancer Research UK for 15 years and supports multiple events across London and Surrey each year. Kind, diligent and caring, Mandy is an asset to any event she volunteers at. She is happy to take on any role and she’ll always go over and above what is asked of her. Her calm nature puts everyone at ease. Mandy supports us with volunteer recruitment, spreading the word of our events through her local groups and contacts. She helps deliver fantastic events for our supporters and volunteers, and ensures our new volunteers feel incredibly welcomed and involved."

Volunteering at our events for 15 years

‘‘Neil has consistently volunteered at Race for Life, Pretty Muddy and Shine events for 15 years. He goes above and beyond in his role as Backmarker to encourage and support participants who are struggling to complete their race. Neil is very active on a social media community page, regularly wishing supporters 'Good Luck'. He is patient, represents the charity in a positive, caring light, and walks 20K on average per event! Neil first started volunteering with his dad, Reg, after losing Neil’s mum and Reg’s wife to cancer. They attended every event together for over 13 years and, when his dad passed away in 2021, Neil made the brave decision to continue volunteering, demonstrating such incredible loyalty."

Volunteering at our events for 11 years

‘‘Sandy and Owen are a husband-and-wife duo who have been volunteering at Cancer Research Events since 2012. Kind, diligent and gentle, you’ll often find them on the finish line providing endless encouragement to participants in their last strides to ring the bell. They are the life and soul of the event site come rain or shine. They regularly support our Hastings, Eastbourne and Crawley events but no distance is too far to travel, no weather too cold or wet for them to attend. They are irreplaceable on event day."