How the Chesterton House Foundation is supporting C.A.R.S.

A cancer diagnosis rarely affects just one person. It reaches into families, friendships, and workplaces, often long after treatment ends. Cancer Active Recovery Support, known as C.A.R.S., exists to support everyone touched by that journey.

The Chesterton House Foundation has awarded C.A.R.S. a £1,000 grant, funding ten monthly support hubs and Tropic wellbeing sessions for people affected by cancer across Leicestershire.

Support that reaches beyond the individual

C.A.R.S. runs free, community-based support hubs for anyone aged 18 and over facing a cancer diagnosis, alongside carers, family, friends, and colleagues, and those coping with loss. Monthly hubs run in Hinckley, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Moira, and Market Harborough, keeping support close to home rather than tied to major hospitals.

Each hub is led by a paid facilitator with a cancer rehabilitation qualification, supported by volunteers. Alongside emotional support, C.A.R.S. offers wellbeing sessions such as hand massage and Tai Chi, helping participants recover physically as well as mentally from the toll of treatment.

A gap that needed filling

One participant, Katie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and faced a difficult recovery, including two hospital readmissions due to infection. Once her treatment ended, she found it hard to locate any local support geared specifically towards cancer recovery. A friend told her about C.A.R.S., and its In The Pink rehabilitation programme became, in her words, the jump start she needed, physically and mentally.

Katie’s experience reflects a gap many C.A.R.S. participants describe: the period after treatment ends, when clinical support fades but the road to recovery continues.

In 2025, over 900 people came through Cancer Active Recovery Support’s doors. Demand continues to grow, with waiting lists now forming for some services.

Why we chose to support C.A.R.S.

The Foundation looks for organisations doing meaningful work in our local community, where funding makes a direct and visible difference. C.A.R.S. fills a gap for people navigating life after a cancer diagnosis, offering connection and practical support at a point when many feel most alone.

Find out more about Cancer Active Recovery Support here.