Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Official Report 982KB pdf

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Race for Life 30th Anniversary

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-08731, in the name of David Torrance, on race for life celebrates its 30-year anniversary. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament celebrates the 30th anniversary of the founding of Race for Life; understands that Race for Life, in partnership with Standard Life, is Cancer Research UK’s biggest series of fundraising events that take place across the UK; further understands that, since its inception 30 years ago, Race for Life has raised over £940 million towards lifesaving cancer research and, in that time, over 10 million participants have taken part in Race for Life events; notes that the Race for Life is open to everyone, no matter their fitness level, background, or gender, with all sponsorship money going towards Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work in its effort to beat all types of cancer; welcomes the multitude of local events across the UK organised each year, and wishes all participants the very best for their efforts.

17:20  

It is my great pleasure to open this evening’s members’ business debate on race for life and to recognise the work that Cancer Research UK does to support our constituents. I thank my colleagues for supporting my motion and allowing the debate to go ahead. Such widespread support is a testament to the thousands of participants and volunteers who have been involved in race for life events across our country during the past 30 years. It also pays tribute to the huge success of that vitally important initiative.

I also thank Emily and Sorcha from Cancer Research UK for taking the time to travel to Parliament for this debate, and I welcome them to the public gallery.

The debate gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable work that is undertaken by race for life and Cancer Research UK and by the staff, volunteers and participants who form the backbone of the initiative. The hard work that is done behind the scenes to organise and run these events is a great achievement.

For three decades, Cancer Research UK race for life has provided the opportunity for communities to raise money for life-saving cancer research. Its track record is seriously impressive. In 30 years, more than 10 million people have taken part in race for life events, raising more than £940 million for life-saving cancer research and supporting more than 130,000 cancer patients across the country with radiotherapy every year.

All race for life sponsorship goes to Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work by funding laboratories, tests and treatments for all 200 types of cancer. Thanks to significant investment, dedication and research, there have been noticeable improvements in early cancer diagnosis and treatment across Scotland. The initiative, spearheaded by our Government and delivered by exceptional national health service staff, is making a difference to the lives of the very people whom we are here to represent. We have made significant progress in improving cancer survival rates in recent years thanks to the tireless work of researchers, medical professionals, campaigners and thousands of fundraising efforts such as race for life.

We cannot forget that the heart and soul of race for life is the participants. An astonishing 10 million individuals have donned their running shoes, sweatbands and pink ribbons to stand up against cancer. They come from all walks of life, all levels of fitness, all backgrounds and all genders and they are unified by a shared objective of improving cancer research and, ultimately, beating cancer. It is their collective spirit, dedication and selfless endeavour that we are here to celebrate and honour today.

Earlier this month, more than 1,600 people took part in the 2023 race for life in Beveridge park in Kirkcaldy in my constituency. They raised an inspiring sum of £92,000 for cancer research, and I was delighted to meet many of them and participate at the finish line by awarding them their medals. As anyone who has attended race for life events will know, the atmosphere is deeply moving, as communities come together to celebrate the lives of those dear to them. From the moment that I arrived, the park was awash with colour from a sea of pink T-shirts to colourful wigs and even a dog in a tutu. Every person was there for the same reason—to have fun and remember the lives and experiences of those whom they loved.

It is easy to get swept away with facts and figures, but the reality of this terrible disease really hit home when I was speaking to participants about their stories and their motivation for signing up. There were stories such as that of 11-year-old Saoirse O’Halloran from Fife, who was chosen as the VIP starter to sound the horn at the start of the events in Kirkcaldy. Earlier this year, Saoirse was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a cancer of the white blood cells. She stood at the start line and cheered on the participants, who included her mum, sister and brother.

Also participating was Joanna Keddie, who was running in memory of her mum, Sheena, a nurse from Kirkcaldy Victoria hospital, who died from breast cancer last year. Speaking after the race, she said:

“I was thinking of my mum every step of the way today.”

That was echoed time and again as I spoke to people who shared their stories with me and made comments such as,

“I know my dad would be proud of me right now”,

and

“Today, I felt my best friend was still here running beside me”.

Then there are those who have battled cancer and won, and are running to show others that this cruel disease can be beaten. I was left in awe of their bravery and determination.

I cannot express enough how proud I am of my constituents who participate in those events to fundraise and help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, which helps to save more lives. Every individual is a beacon of hope and a symbol of resistance against cancer.

I acknowledge and thank the organisers and tireless volunteers who make those events possible. Cancer touches us all at one point or another, be it through personal experience or through our loved ones, neighbours or colleagues. The funds raised at race for life events have been and will continue to be instrumental in groundbreaking research, providing the resources and tools necessary to continue our fight against cancer. The funding contributes to a wide array of cancer services, including the gloves that help scientists stay safe while in the lab, and the microscopes and other equipment used to measure the size of tumours and learn how they grow. An invaluable cancer chart helps thousands of people who are affected by cancer and are going through very challenging times.

That groundbreaking work, which is supported by events such as race for life, contributes to more people surviving. We must not underestimate the importance of ensuring that the voices and experience of people who are affected by cancer are at the heart of policy.

Many of our constituents are impacted by cancer, and it is crucial that they are the centre of our approach going forward. Thousands of families in our communities have faced the indescribable pain of losing loved ones to this dreadful disease. We owe it to them to strive for continuous improvements in our healthcare services, particularly in the field of cancer research.

I am grateful that Scotland’s commitment to investing in the detect cancer early programme with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment is further enabling early detection. I note the contribution of the transforming cancer care programme, which is a first of its kind in the United Kingdom, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, to improving the services that are offered to cancer patients.

A significant breakthrough has been rolled out in rapid diagnostic centres across Scotland, including the one in the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy, in my constituency. Those centres aim to provide an all-clear diagnostic within 28 days of a referral, making the process faster and less anxiety provoking for those involved.

Although we celebrate the achievements, we cannot afford to be complacent. We still face challenges, and we need to tackle the health inequalities that contribute to lower cancer survival rates in more deprived areas. The road ahead is still long and filled with challenges. The optimism of race for life events is infectious, and I am firm in my belief in our collective ability to rise to the challenge. Scotland has a strong foundation to build on to improve cancer outcomes, and I am incredibly grateful for the brilliant work of Cancer Research UK to help Scotland continue to drive that progress.

I conclude my contribution with a sense of pride and admiration as we honour and celebrate the 30th anniversary of race for life, an initiative that has touched the lives of thousands of people across Scotland. It is a pleasure to be able to formally acknowledge the incredible work that race for life and Cancer Research UK do, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to participants, volunteers and supporters of this wonderful initiative. I also extend my best wishes to everyone across Scotland who will take part in the upcoming race for life events this year.

17:28  

I thank David Torrance for bringing forward this very important debate to recognise the 30th anniversary of Cancer Research UK’s race for life. Every year, tens of thousands of Scots are diagnosed with cancer, and the numbers are only set to rise in the coming decades. Every one of us in the chamber, and everyone across the country, will have had their life touched by the impact of cancer.

Today I think of my late friend and neighbour Sue in London. Sue died of cancer far too young. She left behind a family and friends, and a void among us. I also think of my partner’s father, Alf, who fell ill with a very difficult-to-treat cancer while visiting my partner, Mark, and myself when we lived in Asia. He faced a gruelling 16-hour flight back to Edinburgh accompanied by a doctor and Mark’s mum, Ann. The weeks that followed were difficult for our family and for Ann and Alf’s many friends, some of whom visited Alf in his last few days at home in Portobello.

As the family came to Alf’s bedside, so too did a team from Marie Curie, who helped to nurse Alf and provided support to Ann, Mark and his sister, Louise. I was struck by how important those organisations, which are often charities, are, and by how important the support is that they give to people living with cancer and their families around them.

Sadly, too many of us have only memories of a loved one who suffered from cancer but, thankfully, many more have the comfort of family or friends who have survived cancer—they have come through the treatment and are now living healthy and normal lives. They do so thanks to the huge efforts of a wide range of charities, clinicians and, of course, our NHS. That is why it is hugely important that we in this Parliament recognise those efforts and, particularly today, the efforts of Cancer Research UK.

Thirty years ago, Cancer Research UK established race for life, a series of fundraising events right across the UK that are open to everyone. People of all skill levels, all ages and from all walks of life come together to celebrate collective efforts to combat cancer and to promote healthy living and wellness. The race for life is all about celebrating life and those who face or have faced cancer. Runners are encouraged to wear bright clothing and to race at their own speed to raise funds for life-saving cancer research. The race has raised more than £940 million for Cancer Research UK over its three decades in operation.

This year, there will be events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Fife, Falkirk, Stirling and Inverness to help to fight cancer, and it is vital that we in this Parliament do our bit to raise the profile of initiatives such as this. I strongly encourage my constituents and anyone who is interested to donate or to take part in the event in future years. Somebody asked me today whether I will be doing it, and I think that I can now commit to doing it. I might be walking it, but I will commit to doing it, because race for life helped Cancer Research UK to fund more than £33 million-worth of cancer research in Scotland last year. That money has supported laboratories and institutions in Glasgow and Edinburgh and hundreds of scientists, doctors and nurses across Scotland.

The races offer a critical lifeline for cancer researchers and patients right across Scotland, which is why I would like to say thank you and express the thanks of my constituents to all those who have participated and supported race for life over the past 30 years. Each and every one of us who has lost someone to cancer has good reason to want that commitment to be redoubled and for further progress to be made in combating cancer. We hope that that continues for another 30 years.

Thank you, Mr Hoy. Your commitment is now on the parliamentary record.

17:32  

I begin by thanking my friend and colleague David Torrance for securing this members’ debate. I also take this opportunity to thank Cancer Research UK for all the hard work that it has done and continues to do on a daily basis.

When David Torrance spoke about pink wigs in his opening speech, I kind of laughed—I apologise, because I know that it is a serious subject. However, it brought to mind the day that Kevin Stewart MSP and I, when we were both councillors, decided to don pink curly wigs and walk the floors of Marischal college rattling our tins—I say to Douglas Lumsden that that was before his time, so he is okay—to get money for Cancer Research UK. I still have the photographs, so if anybody wants to make a donation to Cancer Research UK, I will gladly show them those.

Will the member take an intervention?

You have goaded him into it.

Will I get the time back, Presiding Officer?

You will get the time back and more.

Will Jackie Dunbar commit to doing the race, as Craig Hoy has done? I would maybe even put £50 in the pot.

Ooh! I have already done it but, yes, absolutely, I will. I will come on to talk about the Aberdeen race, too.

Cancer affects us all in some shape or form, and it touches all of us at some time or another. It is a cruel disease that we would all like to banish to the history books. One day at a time, one step at a time, we will beat cancer—we just have to.

Race for life is celebrating its 30th year, and it has been a huge success. It started as a women-only event in Battersea in 1994, where 750 participants raised £48,000. Since then, it has grown into a series of hundreds of events and, as we have heard, more than 10 million folk have taken part in that time, raising more than £940 million, which helps to fund research into more than 200 types of cancer.

In 2019, for the first time, race for life opened its doors for men to participate so, if Douglas Lumsden wants to join me, he is more than welcome. That made it a truly inclusive event that gives folk the chance to come together with their families and friends and join the movement to help to beat cancer.

Many moons ago, I became one of the 10 million folk who have taken part. I took part in the Aberdeen race for life when it was held at Hazlehead park, which shows just how long ago that was, because it is now held down at the beach in Aberdeen. My daughter, Dawn, and I took part for a number of reasons. Dawn was keen to take part to celebrate her auntie, Frances Walker, who was a warrior at kicking breast cancer, and I am delighted to say that Frances is still a cancer-free warrior, living life to the full and enjoying spending time with her grandchildren. While I wanted to celebrate Frances, I also wanted to do the race in memory of my mam, whom Dawn never got to meet. My mam died at the very young age of 34 with ovarian cancer, and I still wish to this day that Dawn had been able to meet her grandma Barr, but cancer just did not allow it.

This year’s Aberdeen event will take place on 2 July, meeting at 10 am at the Kings Links on the beach esplanade, and I have just found out that I am doing it. Even if folk cannot manage to take part themselves, they can still go down and support those who can, although I will say that it is never too late to register and take part.

For everyone who takes part, sponsors, raises money or whatever it is that they do to help to beat this vile and awful disease, I sincerely say thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you, Ms Dunbar. I hope that you and Mr Lumsden enjoy your race for life together.

17:36  

I thank David Torrance for bringing the debate to the chamber and allowing us to again talk about the very important issue of changing cancer outcomes. It is right that we use much of our members’ business debate time to discuss cancer, cancer treatment and the research that is needed to ensure that we fight and beat this devastating disease.

When we speak the figures for cancer diagnosis out loud, we know why we, as parliamentarians, spend so much time discussing, debating and analysing treatment paths. There were 35,379 new cancers registered in Scotland in 2021. That is an increase of 5.5 per cent compared with 2019, and it is in line with a long-term trend of an increasing number of cancer diagnoses over time.

When thinking of those numbers, the most important thing is to think of the person and families behind them. Behind every number is a person who will be unsure of what is ahead of them in the days, weeks and months ahead. We know that cancer can affect people physically, emotionally and financially, and it is also a huge emotional challenge for families and friends.

That is why volunteering and participating in communal events are so appealing for people. While fundraising, one gets the opportunity to participate in a group event and space to share experiences and stories, and perhaps to find some common ground. The lovely thing about race for life is that people at all fitness levels are encouraged to do what they can to contribute to the common goal of raising money for cancer research.

We need research into cancer now more than ever. Research has moved the goalposts and tipped the dial in the correct direction. During the past 40 years, cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled. In the 1970s, just one in four people survived the disease for 10 years or more. Today, two in four survive. Cancer Research UK has a clear goal of accelerating progress and seeing three in four patients survive the disease by 2034.

We are, of course, lucky to have excellent research facilities in our education departments, and I understand that Cancer Research UK leads research in areas such as cancer biology, cancer drugs, cancer trials, early diagnosis, immunotherapy, new technologies, personalised medication, prevention and radiotherapy. However, it would be wrong not to take this opportunity to note that Cancer Research UK made a decision to end core funding at the Beatson in the west of Scotland, which is one of the largest clinical trial units in Scotland. We need to continue to invest in those areas, so it is important that we recognise that Scotland can hold those trials, and it is welcome when research funding is placed in Scotland.

My final point, which I have raised repeatedly, is about the inequalities in prevention, care and access to cancer care treatments. For many of the most marginalised in our society, the chances of getting cancer, their experiences of cancer and the outcomes are worse due to factors and circumstances that are beyond their control. Key to reducing cancers and cancer inequalities is acknowledging and dealing with the root causes that blight many of our communities. Across Scotland, we know that the most deprived populations have worse experiences and outcomes than those in the least deprived areas do.

We must act with purpose to reverse those concerns. Early detection gives those who have cancer the best chance of life. We must use events such as race for life not only to raise awareness of the disease and to focus on the importance of research but as a reminder of the long way that we have to go to address health inequalities.

I really appreciate all the contributions in the chamber this evening, and I wish everyone who is taking part in race for life the very best.

17:41  

I, too, give my heartfelt thanks to my colleague David Torrance for bringing the motion to the chamber today and for allowing us all to recognise the value of race for life. I thank Emily and Sorcha from Cancer Research UK very much for all the work that they do. It is great that they have been able to join us here in our Scottish Parliament. I also thank my colleagues for sharing such valuable contributions to the debate.

As Craig Hoy said, this is our opportunity—in fact, it is more than an opportunity; it is our purpose—to raise awareness of cancer, so I thank him for highlighting that.

As Carol Mochan said:

“Behind every number is a person”.

In my role as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, I have found hearing personal stories and meeting people really important. I appreciate David Torrance talking about Sheena’s daughter, and I can reflect personally on some participants saying that their dad would be proud of them and on others saying that they were imagining that their best friend was running beside them.

Craig Hoy talked about the “void”, which is a poignant way of describing losses. Jackie Dunbar talked about celebrating Frances the warrior and running in memory of her dear mum. I thank all members for sharing those stories with us.

I have also reflected on the role that charities play with regard to cancer, as part of that intersecting team that helps researchers, clinicians and the NHS, who all work together, along with communities. That is really important.

I am delighted to mark the 30th anniversary of race for life this year. The level of participation and commitment shown by all those who join the many events across Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom is so impressive. Many participants consider race for life as a way to share their own or their friends’ or family members’ experiences of cancer, as we have heard. I congratulate every participant on raising funds to support research—they are making such a difference to the lives of people with cancer right now and in the future.

As others have said, race for life is an inclusive event—everyone can participate, no matter their fitness level. I know that there are varying lengths of races and some muddy obstacle courses for adults and children. I would love to see Jackie Dunbar doing that with her pink wig on—I might even join her. As David Torrance said, there was an event in his constituency earlier in May. As Cancer Research UK’s website says, people can sign up as a volunteer if running is not their thing. The website asks volunteers to

“bring you energy, smiles and passion to the party and let’s help beat cancer”.

If people are not running, they can volunteer instead.

I am aware of how truly important race for life is to Cancer Research UK. Race for life is its biggest series of fundraising events, having raised—as others have said—more than £940 million, which is seriously impressive.

I will take some time to recognise the important role of Cancer Research UK in funding vital and life-saving research into all types of cancer. Here in Scotland, CRUK works in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde and with NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The research focuses on a variety of cancers, including those that, unfortunately, have poorer outcomes such as brain, pancreatic and liver cancers.

The Scottish Government is clear that research is essential if we are to continue developing new and effective approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment. In partnership with Cancer Research UK, we have increased funding to the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and specifically to its centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh, which specialise in the delivery of early-phase clinical trials. The combined Scottish Government and CRUK funding for the adult and children’s ECMCs is £4.68 million over five years from the start of the current financial year.

As minister for public health, I must highlight the importance of preventing cancer, which is an area that Cancer Research UK is also particularly keen to address. We recognise the importance of public health initiatives in reducing the risk of ill-health, including cancer, for everyone in Scotland. That is why, in May 2018, we introduced minimum unit pricing as one of 20 actions in our alcohol framework 2018 to tackle alcohol-related harm. We also want everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight, to help reduce the impact of a range of diet-related ill-health conditions.

Given how important physical activity is for our general health, it is particularly appropriate to raise awareness of cancer by taking part in race for life. Being physically active is also one of the most important steps that people of all ages can take to prevent, treat and control cancer.

We know that the risk of cancer can increase when preventative measures do not have the expected outcomes. Cancer remains a national priority for the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland. We are developing an ambitious 10-year cancer strategy, which will be launched shortly. The strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and its vision and aims will be supported by a three-year action plan.

Work to develop a new earlier cancer diagnosis vision for Scotland that will shape the future of the programme is nearing completion and will form part of the new cancer strategy. The programme will ensure that those with suspected cancer symptoms are put on the right pathway at the right time. Our aim is to reduce later-stage diagnosis so that cancer, when detected, is more likely to be curable.

I thank those who support race for life and the on-going work of Cancer Research UK to fund life-saving research and raise awareness. Anyone wishing to join one of this year’s race for life events can find out more from the website raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org.

I reiterate to members, and to those watching, that the Scottish Government has an enduring commitment to reduce the burden of cancer in Scotland through a wide range of actions from prevention and early intervention to strengthening treatment options and providing broader supportive care. As Jackie Dunbar said:

“One day at a time, one step at a time”.

That concludes the debate.

Meeting closed at 17:48.