A group of eleven radiographers and assistant practitioners from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are preparing to light up the streets of Norwich this October in support of Cancer Research UK’s Shine Night Walk.
The all-women team, who work in the hospital’s breast imaging and breast screening departments, are stepping out from behind the X-ray machines to raise funds for life-saving cancer research. The frontline NHS professionals perform mammograms for over 30,000 women each year, both at the hospital and via mobile screening units that travel across Norfolk.
Among the walkers is Becky Bond, 40, a mammographer with more than a decade of experience. Becky works in the Breast Screening Serviceand symptomatic breast clinic, where patients referred by their GPs undergo a “triple assessment” — clinical examination, imaging, and biopsy — all in one visit.
Her motivation to take part in Shine is deeply personal as her parents have been diagnosed with cancer. “Becky said: “We see the impact of cancer every day in our clinic, and many of us have experienced it in our own families. Shine is our way of standing together — not just as professionals, but as daughters, sisters, friends, and colleagues.”
Becky’s mother lives with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, while her father was diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare abdominal cancer.
Becky added: “In the East of England, around 37,400 people are diagnosed with cancer every year.* Taking part in Shine Night Walk could help researchers unlock new and better ways to beat it. So, I hope my story will inspire others to step up and get involved.”
Thanks to the generosity of its fundraisers and donors, Cancer Research UK supports vital initiatives such as the Personalised Breast Cancer Programme (PBCP), which uses whole-genome sequencing to tailor treatment to individual patients. The programme, launched in Cambridge, now operates in Colchester, Ipswich, Milton Keynes, Oxford, and Great Yarmouth.
In the East of England, every year around 5,700 women — and a small number of men — are diagnosed with breast cancer. And approximately 1,100 women in the region lose their lives to the disease annually. But the charity hopes the roll-out of the PBCP will drive forward progress that could save more lives
Becky added. ““Research takes time and money before it can be adopted into the NHS. The more we can support it, the better. That’s why I’m taking part in the Norwich Shine Night Walk — and why I’m encouraging others in Norfolk to join us and help make a difference.
Cancer Research UK spent over £50 million in the region last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.
Patrick Keely, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the East of England, said: “We are thankful to Becky and her team for raising much need funds for research. Our scientists have helped to double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years. We’ve led the development of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, paved the way for targeted treatments, and improved the way we use surgery to tackle cancer. But with nearly 1 in 2 people set to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime, we can’t stop there. Our vision is a world where everybody lives longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer, and money raised through events like Shine Night Walk is critical to making this a reality.”
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, 4 October 2025
- Location: Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich
- Distance: 10K walk through the city’s iconic landmarks
- Registration & Info: www.cancerresearchuk.org/shine
