WCRF UK news

WCRF UK Supporter of the Quarter

A star of our short video about WCRF UK’s work was named Supporter of the Quarter for winter 2009. Maureen Sommerville, 64, from Dudley, has supported WCRF UK for the last ten years and features in our film talking about the positive changes she made to her diet and lifestyle following a cancer diagnosis.

“When I finished my cancer treatment, I wanted to take a pro-active approach to keeping healthy and WCRF UK had exactly the information I was looking for,” said Maureen. “I volunteer at a local cancer centre and I noticed there wasn’t much emphasis on cancer prevention, so I offered to write regular articles for their newsletter to pass on what I have learnt.”

Maureen is an inspiration to all and we’d like to thank her for sharing her story in our film. Read more WCRF UK supporter stories like Maureen’s here.

Change4Life

We are delighted to share that WCRF UK is now an official partner of the Department of Health’s Change4Life campaign. It aims to improve children’s diets and activity levels to reduce the threat to their future health. Its goal is to help every family in England eat well, move more and live longer. WCRF UK is pleased to share our cancer prevention message through this scheme.

Healthy New You Plan

If you have pledged to get healthy in 2010 then WCRF UK’s latest free publication will be of great help. Our Healthy New You Plan includes recipes, meal planners and activity charts, which will give you encouragement and advice to get started on the tracks. You can download copies of WCRF UK’s publications here.

WCRF UK’s achievements 2000-2010

WCRF UK has leapt forward with our cancer prevention research, linking diet, weight and being active to cancer risk. The highlights of WCRF UK’s achievements over the last ten years can be read in more detail here.

Living Legend nutritional award

Congratulations to our colleague, Ritva Butrum, PHD, from American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), part of the WCRF global network. Ritva was awarded a Living Legend award by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences. This is given to prominent nutrition scientists aged over 80 years who have made a significant contribution to the field of nutrition.

Fundraising challenge

Why not have a go at something new in 2010? Maybe you could celebrate a birthday by taking part in a challenge event, join a fitness class to get active with the goal of taking part in a fun run or hold a healthy fundraising dinner for friends. WCRF UK’s events team is on hand to offer advice and support for any ideas you might have. Email events@wcrf.org for more details.

WCRF UK workplace health initiative

WCRF UK is embarking on a new workplace health pilot that will help us to reach a new audience of people from all backgrounds and who might not otherwise have heard of our Recommendations for Cancer Prevention. WCRF UK has produced an employer’s pack, Work Both Ways, containing booklets and tools, such as food and activity diaries and other WCRF UK resources. The scheme is initially being piloted with two companies before we develop it for being effectively rolled out on a larger scale. To find out how your company could become involved email wcrf@wcrf.org with your contact details.

Leek and sweet potato soup

Leeks taste even better when eaten during the winter months. They contain many nutrients, including B vitamins, calcium, iron and potassium. This hearty recipe serves 4 and contains 190kcals, 0.05g salt and 4.2g fat per serving. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 leeks, chopped, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1litre/2pints reduced-salt stock, 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Sauté the leeks until lightly brown, sprinkle cumin over the leeks, and then add the stock and sweet potato to the pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Allow to cool slightly before blending in a food processor or with a hand blender. Re-heat until piping hot and serve. Enjoy more of WCRF UK’s healthy recipes here.

Regular giving

The vast majority of WCRF UK’s vital cancer prevention research and education programmes are funded by individuals, without whose support we would not have achieved many of our major scientific advances. Regular gifts to WCRF UK help us to continue to make a difference. Please consider making a donation of £3 a month or whatever you can afford.

facebook, twitter and eNewsletters

You can now follow WCRF UK on facebook and twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest cancer prevention news, health tips and fundraising activities. You can also sign up to receive WCRF UK’s various eNewsletters here.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about WCRF UK’s work or would like to fundraise on our behalf. Thank you for your time and support!