Phil Tearle: The Dartmoor cancer survivor who found purpose through volunteering

When Phil Tearle talks about volunteering, it’s clear this isn’t a pastime to fill the hours in retirement. 

It’s a calling, born out of gratitude, perspective and an understanding of how much small acts of kindness can matter.

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Back in 2018, Phil was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was caught early, successfully removed, and today he is cancer-free. “I was lucky,” he says, a word he returns to often. 

Lucky to have been diagnosed early. Lucky to have received the care he needed. And lucky, he believes, to have come through with a renewed sense of purpose.

Shortly after his diagnosis, Phil retired. “I managed about a year of leisure,” he recalls, before realising he needed something more. “I needed something to keep my brain cells ticking over.” 

That search led him straight back to the world he’d briefly stepped away from, cancer support, but this time as a volunteer.

ABOVE: Phil volunteering for Force

The start of Phil’s volunteer journey

Living in Cheshire at the time, Phil contacted Prostate Cancer UK and began volunteering. 

He threw himself into fundraising and awareness work, talking openly about the importance of checks and screening. 

Along the way, he found himself meeting well-known supporters of the charity, including former England cricketer Phil Tufnell. 

But it wasn’t the celebrity encounters that stayed with him; it was the sense that he was helping other men cope with the shock he had faced himself.

Phil still volunteers with Prostate Cancer UK today, even travelling to London for an upcoming conference, although he notes the charity is less active in Devon, where he returned in 2023, than in Cheshire.

Volunteering in Devon: a FORCE for good

After moving to Hatherleigh, Phil connected with FORCE (Friends of the Oncology and Radiology Centre Exeter), just as the charity was opening an outreach centre in Okehampton. 

It was, he says, a perfect fit. FORCE supports everyone affected by cancer: those with a diagnosis, their families, and the friends walking alongside them.

Much of Phil’s role is deceptively simple. He meets and greets visitors, makes tea and coffee, and offers a friendly chat. As he describes it, his eyes well up. 

He talks about the appreciation people show for “just being given a cup of tea and an ear to talk to”. 

It’s a reminder that support doesn’t always come in grand gestures; sometimes it’s about being present when someone needs it most.

Phil volunteers at the Okehampton centre three times a month and once a month in Exeter, where FORCE also runs structured activities such as art sessions and complementary therapies. 

He’s also a familiar face at fundraising events, stewarding everything from the Great West Run to the Nello Bike Ride, and even donning a red suit to play Santa Claus at Darts Farm near Topsham. 

“I’ll do anything for FORCE, as they were so supportive when I needed them,” he says.

ABOVE: Phil dressed up as Santa

Giving cancer patients a voice in the NHS

His commitment doesn’t stop there. Phil also volunteers with the Living With and Beyond Cancer team, which supports people affected by a diagnosis and works to improve outcomes, particularly in rural communities. 

Based at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, the team is researching how best to reach farmers, a group that often struggles to engage with traditional healthcare messaging.

Outreach efforts haven’t always worked, so Phil and others are helping to gather survey data and rethink approaches, with support from organisations such as Mole Valley Farmers and plans for wellbeing stands at rural marketplaces.

Later today, Phil is giving a talk about this work to Tiverton WI, once again encouraging people to get screened. 

He also sits on the Cancer Patient Partnership Group, a small committee that meets every two months in Ottery St Mary to provide patient perspectives on treatment guidelines and care pathways. 

“It’s about making sure the patient's voice is heard,” he explains, another way of paying forward the care he once received.

The benefits of volunteering

For Phil, volunteering has brought a sense of purpose and the quiet satisfaction of knowing he’s making a difference.

“There are only two things I’m really passionate about,” he says with a smile. “Torquay United and volunteering.”

It’s an offhand remark, but it captures something essential. Volunteering hasn’t just filled Phil’s time; it’s enriched his life and, in turn, strengthened the communities around him. 

His story is a powerful reminder that giving back isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about showing up, listening, and offering what you can.

And for anyone wondering whether volunteering is worth it, Phil’s journey offers a clear answer: sometimes, in helping others, you find exactly what you didn’t know you were looking for.

If you have a few hours to spare and are interested in learning more about volunteering opportunities in your area, please contact Community Engagement Co-ordinator Dawn at dawn@westdevoncvs.org.uk