A Tauranga woman who watched her husband battle cancer in silence is hoping a new recovery programme will ensure other men don’t have to face the journey alone.

Rotary Club of Tauranga Te Papa has partnered with Health Quarters, a gym in Willow St, to launch a 12-week pilot programme combining supervised exercise with peer support for men recovering from cancer.

The initiative was inspired by Rotary member Jenny Robertson’s experience caring for her late husband Hugh, who lived with prostate cancer before dying in May 2025 of a heart attack linked to the long-term effects of his treatment.

Robertson said they did not hear of any cancer support groups for men in Tauranga during his illness and were not referred to any.

Having twice experienced cancer herself, Robertson said she was struck by the difference in support promoted to women.

“You get referred to so many groups when you’re a woman, but I didn’t hear any of that when … he was sick.”

She believes her husband, who was a private man, would have benefited from being alongside others facing similar challenges.

“If he had somewhere he could have gone, had a cup of coffee afterwards and talked to people in the same boat, I just feel it would have helped.”

The programme has been developed with Health Quarters director Diego Rosenberg, whose own family has been deeply affected by cancer. His father died of lung cancer when Rosenberg was 6, while his mother is now in remission after treatment for bladder cancer.

“One of our members is from the Rotary Club of Ōmokoroa. They’re doing a programme in a local gym, so she asked me to review putting something together for people who live more central to Tauranga CBD.”

He said exercise is only one part of recovery and that nutrition guidelines and mindset protocols are often overlooked.

“A big chunk of recovery is having a multi-layered plan of action,” Rosenberg said.

“People feel isolated. There’s something powerful about having a community of individuals who are going through similar situations, where they can come together, feel supported and know they don’t have to do it on their own.”

The programme will cater for about 12 men who are undergoing treatment, in remission or recovering from cancer.

Before joining the weekly sessions, each participant would receive an individual assessment to ensure the programme is tailored to their health, fitness and stage of recovery.

Rosenberg said keeping the groups small allows participants to receive close supervision while building genuine connections with one another.

“I love New Zealand men, but there’s often a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude where men keep everything to themselves,” he said.

“It’s important for people to be able to express themselves and to be heard. That’s an important part of the healing process.”

Tauranga Te Papa Rotary is subsidising the pilot, reducing the cost to participants to just $5 a session.

Robertson said it is hoped the first group will create momentum through word of mouth, before the programme grows into a model that could be adopted by Rotary clubs around the country.

The organisers are now seeking referrals from doctors, practice nurses and cancer support services to help fill the first intake, which is expected to begin in early September.

Men interested in the programme can contact Health Quarters: we@healthquarters.co.nz

The Rotary club is running a fundraising movie night for the cancer support programme on August 6 at Luxe Cinemas, screening the film Tenor: My Name is Pati. For more information email Jenny Robertson: Jnrobertson46@gmail.com