In pictures: Cambridge night walk shines a light on cancer research and raises £232,000

People across Cambridge and beyond joined an illuminating night-time walking event for Cancer Research UK, as the charity’s Shine Night Walk returned to the city, raising a massive £232,000.

More than 2,000 people formed a parade of light, passing some of Cambridge’s famous landmarks as the 10k route took them past the university botanical gardens and across Midsummer Common, before finishing at the Corn Exchange.

Participants could choose to raise money for the area of research closest to their hearts or back Cancer Research UK’s work generally. Following the October 15 walk, Cancer Research UK senior area events manager Kirsten Shore said: “Saturday proved to be an evening to remember, with the event raising £232,000. Money raised through Shine Night Walk is crucial to the pioneering work of doctors, nurses and scientists who are tackling cancer on all fronts.

“As we mark our 20th anniversary this year, we wanted to put our supporters from Cambridge and the rest of the county in the spotlight, and say a heartfelt thank you for their incredible commitment to events like Shine Night Walk.

“Whether people walked for someone they knew or to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured, every step, from the Eagle to Cambridge University Library and beyond, raised vital funds for lifesaving research. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, so we’ll never stop striving to create better treatments for tomorrow.”

[Read more: Cancer Research UK chairman Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz on making cancer a manageable disease]

Cambridge was one of 19 UK cities to host a walk. In the East of England, around 36,600 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Last year, Cancer Research UK was able to spend more than £51million in the East of England on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

For more information, visit bit.ly/3TPTJqy.