We all met Stead (or Michael if you prefer) when he came to visit Iain and Adam during our time at Sheffield University. He became a bit of a regular in our circle of friends from then on and managed to make his way onto many of our holidays and stag dos, so we've been stuck with him ever since ;)

Stead and his family have received some terrible news recently and, true to form, he is dealing with an incredibly difficult situation in an unbelievably positive and brave way. Stead, along with many of his friends are taking part in Decembeard to grow beards and raise money for Bowel Cancer UK so please donate anything you can to support this great cause. 

To hear more about Stead's story from the man himself, read on...

Thanks for visiting my team fundraising page. In September 2018 my life was turned upside down. Within a few weeks a suspected hernia diagnosis, turned out to be cancer. Further investigations revealed I had bowel, liver and peritoneum (the abdominal membrane) cancer, with the news it was incurable. There are no words to describe the emotional rollercoaster that my family, close friends and I have been on, but the impact has been devastating on us all. 

Now while my prognosis is what it is, anyone who knows me well will tell you I don’t believe in no win situations. So, I will be doing everything I can to fight this terrible disease with everything that I’ve got. At the same time, I intend to seize the day and make the most of the time that I do have. Part of this means me (and by default my family and friends) getting involved and raising money for a charity that obviously has huge significance for me now - Bowel Cancer UK. 

Bowel Cancer UK are the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. They are committed to saving lives and improving the quality of life for everyone affected by bowel cancer, with a clear vision of a future where nobody dies of the disease.

My team have joined me to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK. You'll see our team fundraising target on the right. Your donation can really help us smash this goal

Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 25%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity.We fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.We’re here to stop people dying of bowel cancer.