Colin & Ben cycle London to Brighton for two cancer charities!

Hi all, Ben here. My dad and I are cycling from London to Brighton this September and are doing so to raise money for two fantastic charities that have supported people close to us through recent cancer diagnoses.

Last year, my mum Judy was diagnosed with stage 3B melanoma after finding a small lump on her leg, and it was later found to have spread to her lymph nodes. The treatment for it was a full course of immunotherapy which is something that has only really become effective with recent research. Axminster & Lyme Cancer Support is a small charity that supports anyone in the Lyme Bay area with any kind of cancer diagnosis and they currently support over 800 people. They supported my mum through her treatment physically, with scar tissue massages and tripudio sessions, and they also gave mental support, with free counselling sessions but also courses and activities, including woodworking at Lyme Regis Boatbuilders, art classes and fashion shows. We have also enjoyed use of their beach hut in Lyme Regis, available to book for anyone currently undergoing treatment. It can be easy for a cancer diagnosis to become all about the treatment but the opportunity to simply do other things, to take your mind off of your diagnosis is truly invaluable and the money you donate will go such a long way to enabling this small charity to offer these services to more cancer patients.

My fiancée's mum, Lorna, was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2013 for which she underwent a course of radiotherapy, and then unfortunately had a recurrence in 2023 which required a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Both times she was supported by The Christie, the largest single cancer support centre in Europe, with treatment centres in hospitals across the North West and their own dedicated facilities. They are focused on providing care and treatment above and beyond what the NHS can do on it's own, as well as investing in and facilitating groundbreaking research into cancer treatments. Lorna knows this all too well as The Christie was where her mum received experimental treatments for her cancer 40 years ago that have undoubtedly contributed to the significantly higher chances of cancer survival we see today. Fundraising for The Christie means they can keep investing in research but also build more facilities that make cancer treatment and care easier and more available to everyone; the existence of Christie Macclesfield is a direct result of fundraising and meant Lorna's second treatment was available quickly and significantly closer to home. Every penny you donate makes that sort of service available to more and more people.

I've never done any sort of fitness based challenge before and I'll be honest with you, I'm pretty nervous. I've always struggled with my weight and maintaining any sort of fitness regime so this feels like a big challenge. Having done this ride before (once, in the 90s) Dad seems pretty relaxed about the whole affair! Either way, we're both going to give it 110% to make it all the way (with minimal bike pushing up Ditchling Beacon!) and make sure we earn every penny you donate. You can find out more about both charities using the links below, every donation will be split evenly between the two. Anything you can spare is appreciated so so much. Wish us luck!