First of all, thanks for clicking on the link and taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As some (most) of you will be aware I lost my best friend, the exceptional, extraordinary, brilliant, inspiring, compassionate, and resilient Kyle Jaggers, to a very aggressive cancer in November 2024. He was only diagnosed 6 months prior and it was already at Stage 4. Words cannot describe the hole this has created in our lives.

One of Kyle's symptoms was the amount of pain he was in and he was put in contact with St Clare Hospice, a local charity that help so many families locally. Whilst we knew about the End of Life care they give, we were unaware of all the other amazing things they offer people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Kyle had such an unpleasant and impersonal experience in the NHS Cancer system, he was completely blown away by the way he was respected and cared for as a human by the staff at St Clare's. They got on top of his pain medication and were there along side him right until the end. Not just while he was on site but even when he was home and needed someone to fight is cause or chase that next appointment.

Kyle was a prolific fundraiser and vowed to raise as much money he could for the hospice when he was better. It is in Kyle's memory that I take on this challenge.

So why 27 hours? Well, that was how long it took Kyle to walk from Harlow to Brighton in 2017. Non-stop. Without any sleep. The time is to honour what Kyle did on that particular fundraiser.

Why karaoke? I don't have the knees to walk 74 miles, or cycle from Whitehaven to Whitby, or do any number of Peaks - unlike Kyle. So this is (slightly) more in my skill set. All I have to do is sing on every song played (even if it is just a chorus) over a constant 27 hour period. Starting at 6pm on Friday 27th June and finishing at 9pm on Saturday 28th. Non-stop.

So how can you help me? Donate £27 and you can have one of the 400 songs dedicated to you or a loved one. If you're a business, £270 can ensure that your company sponsors one of the 27 hours of my challenge. I am looking at streaming the whole event so you can check in on how I am getting on. Alternatively, you can come into The Harlow Playhouse, who are graciously hosting and supporting me in doing this, when it is open to the public, buy a drink and take part in some of the other fundraising things I am doing at the same time!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity. And don't forget to say YES to Gift Aid!!!