In February I am going to attempt the Steve Parr Round - a fell running challenge in the Lake District to raise money for cancer support in Cumbria.

The challenge is to run a continuous loop of all the Lake District fells over 2500ft in one continuous journey, ideally under 48 hours. This will be one of, if not the, hardest challenge I’ve ever undertaken but it’s for a great cause…

Last year my partner Chrissy was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. This obviously came as a huge and terrifying shock for a young, fit and healthy mum of a toddler. The treatment and care Chrissy received from the NHS was amazing, she had surgery to remove the tumour and four rounds of chemotherapy. The whole thing was brutal in so many ways but thankfully she’s doing really well now.

What has become apparent through this ordeal is that, whilst the medical treatment provided by the NHS is amazing, there is very little non-clinical support for cancer sufferers and their families in Cumbria. There are some wonderful volunteers doing what they can but it’s not enough.

In many ways, we were very lucky - we have a loving and supportive family, a strong network of amazing friends, both our employers were extremely supportive and most of the all the outcome has been good. But… we know all too well that this isn’t always the case and I can’t imagine having to go through everything without the personal support we had.

And that is where Maggie’s come in. Maggie’s Centres are warm and welcoming places built near NHS hospitals that provide the care that people with cancer (and their families) need – all free of charge. The support can be emotional, psychological, advice on treatment and financial matters – or simply a cup of tea, companionship, a chat with those who understand, and somewhere beautiful and peaceful to sit.

But… the nearest one to us in Newcastle - too far to travel from Cumbria when things are tough.

There are great people in Cumbria campaigning for a Maggie’s centre to be built in Carlisle, but this is a long-term dream and in the meantime the money I hope to raise through this challenge will go to supporting people in Cumbria through increased outreach provision.

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