Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As some of you know I have had two bouts of cancer. The first time 4 years ago I had a small operation followed by Chemotherapy and radiotherapy, sadly 2 years later the cancer returned and I had an 11 hour operation followed by a 6 hour operation 4 months later. The operations have left me with a permanent stoma and a rare condition called Pudendal Neuropathy/Nerve entrapment, this has left me with permanent chronic pain and the inability to sit down.

The disease prevents me from doing the thing I loved best(once the football went😀) cycling, so I have adapted and for the past year I have been riding my recumbent trike.

This is not a message of pity but a message of hope for people who have to or are dealing with this terrible disease, please just keep going, find ways of adapting and draw on the tremendous love that your beautiful family and friends give you. 

The love and support I got from my family and friends helped me to get back on my feet, but life was never going to be the same and the mental side of the cancer and my operations was becoming a block in recovering to lead a decent life again. My doctor asked me to go to Maggie’s and see the counsellor.

I walked into this beautiful building by the side of the cancer unit at Clatterbridge hospital, to a welcome of warmth and understanding. Kathy the unit manager and her wonderful team of voluntary specialists offer any amount of help and advice, with a wonderful smile.

It is here in Maggies’ you feel someone is listening to the pain you are in. It is a place we’re you can open your heart, you can cry, you do laugh and you do make friends.

Maggies is very personal to me not only for the reasons I have just mentioned but it was a place where the wife of my dear friend Paul Ashall used to come while he was receiving his chemotherapy treatment, “it’s a beautiful place” she would say. Sadly Paul lost his battle to cancer recently.  So Maggies not only helps the people suffering from cancer but also their families.

The Stelvio Pass is a ride I wanted to do 4 years ago, alas circumstances stopped me from doing it. So next week I attempt to fulfill a dream and attempt to trike to the top ( with my mate Graham Hanna) 21km long, average gradient 7% , the summit is approx 10,000ft.

Maggies is a voluntary organisation, please look at their website,  all donations will go to Maggies at Clatterbridge. Please support me and support all the People that will use Maggies in the years to come.

I now do voluntary work at Maggies, it is so beautiful and yet so humbling.

May God bless you all.