Located in the bustling Woolshops Shopping Centre, the new shop is steps away from the iconic Piece Hall, offering a stylish, modern interior fitted with a spacious fitting room. Shoppers in Halifax can browse a range of new and pre-loved clothing and accessories, as well as toys, homeware, and books.
Through the generosity of those who shop and donate, the Yorkshire Cancer Research Halifax shop is expected to raise £788,000 over the next five years, helping the charity bring pioneering cancer research to the region. The opening marks a significant step toward the charity’s ambition to have a shop on every high street in Yorkshire.
Yorkshire is one of the regions hardest hit by cancer. In Halifax, 614 people are diagnosed with cancer each year and 283 people sadly die. Yorkshire Cancer Research is dedicated to funding research and innovative cancer services, so people in Yorkshire live longer, healthier lives, free from cancer.
70-year-old Kevin Crowley from Halifax started volunteering as a member of the Research Advisory Panel at Yorkshire Cancer Research after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024 – four years after his wife Lynne received a breast cancer diagnosis. The couple credit their successful treatment to the early detection of their cancers, which meant they had more treatment options available to them.
Following his cancer experience, Kevin now helps Yorkshire Cancer Research review applications for funding and make sure they align with the charity’s aims, including to improve rates of early diagnosis in Yorkshire.
He said:
“Because my cancer was detected early, I had more treatment options and I’m now doing well after my surgery. I want to give something back, so I now use my experience to help shape the future of cancer research in Yorkshire.
"It’s very exciting that Yorkshire Cancer Research is opening a new shop near me and reaching our community. I encourage people to visit the shop and support the charity’s mission to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.”
Halifax has a rich legacy of supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research. In 1996, the charity opened a shop on King Cross Road, run by the former Halifax local voluntary group. Among its most devoted members were Vice President Jim Maudsley and his wife Joan, who ran the shop together along with many other Committee members. The pair were dedicated to raising vital funds to support Yorkshire Cancer Research after Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer. Joan also devoted a huge amount of time to fundraising, including selling many bags of her homemade ‘secret recipe’ toffee.
Their daughter, Alison, who used to lend a hand in the former Yorkshire Cancer Research shop, continues to support the charity’s life-saving work. She joined the Yorkshire Cancer Research team to celebrate the opening of the new Halifax shop, honouring the commitment and dedication of shop employees and volunteers, including her parents, who have contributed to pioneering cancer research throughout the charity’s history.
She said:
“It’s such an honour to be here with my daughter celebrating the opening of the new Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Halifax. I still remember when the original shop opened when my daughter Jennie was just three years old. She’s 32 now!
“Yorkshire Cancer Research means a lot to our family and I want to do what I can to raise awareness of the importance of cancer research in Halifax. I have so many fond memories of my parents and their friends running the shop, and my dad even introduced me to my husband through the Yorkshire Cancer Research Halifax local voluntary group. We’ve been married 36 years.
“As I will soon be retiring, I now hope to be able to volunteer in the new shop, so I can make new memories and continue my parents’ legacy.”
The Yorkshire Cancer Research team invite people in Halifax to contribute to a cancer-free future by volunteering at the shop. Through welcoming customers and organising donated goods, volunteers can develop new skills and gain valuable experience, while helping to save lives in the region.
Chris Munro, Halifax Shop Manager at Yorkshire Cancer Research said:
“I fell in love with charity retail after becoming a volunteer at Yorkshire Cancer Research and worked my way up to being a Shop Manager. Volunteering brought me many rewarding opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t have had, which is why I’m so excited to welcome new friendly faces to the team and build a supportive community here in Halifax. We’ve already built a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about supporting the charity’s mission.”
Tony Graham, Director of Retail, Services and Operations at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:
“As Yorkshire Cancer Research marks a century of life-saving progress this year, it is exciting to be opening a vibrant new shop in the heart of Halifax. Every pound raised will help the charity to continue funding cancer research and pioneering services, so more people in Yorkshire survive cancer each year. People who donate, shop and volunteer in the Halifax shop will play a vital role in achieving the charity’s goal of a Yorkshire free from cancer.”
