Danny’s Journey: A Personal Inspiration

One of our own directors, Danny Lloyd-Jones, was diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 31 years old. He has understandably said that the day doctors finally discovered the tumour is a day that him and his family will never forget, shattering their lives completely.

Danny underwent 86 rounds of treatment – including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Throughout this gruelling journey, his positivity and resilience never waned. We are proud that he turned his experience into purpose, becoming a passionate advocate for fellow cancer patients and even spearheading initiatives like “Bins for Boys,” a campaign to install sanitary bins in men’s toilets for those with stoma bags. You can read more about this initiative on the BBC website.

Today, Danny is not only our Associate Utilities Director, but he has also become a Trustee of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, determined to give back to the charity that supported him. His story is the beating heart behind our fundraising.

Danny’s journey is the reason we’ve chosen Lingen Davies Cancer Fund as our charity of the year. You can read his full story on the Lingen Davies website. We want to honour his fight by supporting the charity that stood by him and thousands of others like him. We hope that you will donate and support us in our efforts.

Who Are Lingen Davies Cancer Fund?

Lingen Davies Cancer Fund is the beating heart of cancer support for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales. Founded in 1979 by Bernard Lingen (then Mayor of Shrewsbury) and Frank Davies, this charity was created to bring vital cancer services closer to home for our community.

In the last 25 years, Lingen Davies has funded over £20 million in projects and positively impacted more than 100,000 people who have faced cancer. Thanks to their work, patients in that region can receive top-quality care locally instead of having to travel far in an already difficult time.

The charity focuses on three key areas:

- improving cancer prevention and early detection

- enhancing treatment facilities

- supporting people living with and beyond cancer

In practical terms, that means they fund state-of-the-art medical equipment and new facilities (like the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre in Shrewsbury) so that our hospitals can treat patients with the best technology close to home.

They run awareness programs (such as the LiveLife Cancer Awareness service) to educate the public about cancer signs and symptoms, helping more people catch cancer early when it can be treated most successfully.

Lingen Davies also provides comfort and care for those affected by cancer by funding holistic therapies and wellbeing programs to improve patients’ quality of life.

They therefore support the entire cancer journey, from funding cutting-edge technology to organising free yoga classes for recovering patients. Each year, over 4,500 new patients benefit from services and support made possible by Lingen Davies.

Lingen Davies relies on the generosity of people and businesses in the community. It receives no routine government funding so every penny comes from fundraisers and donors. You can research more about this amazing charity on their website.

This is another reason why we at Brookbanks are so proud to support this charity, helping to ensure their valuable work continues for many years to come.

Brookbanks’ Fundraising Challenge for 2025

When we announced Lingen Davies as our 2025 Charity of the Year, our entire team – across all our offices – mobilised with energy and heart. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious but achievable goal: to raise £15,000 for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. To hit that target, Brookbanks staff, families, and friends are undertaking a variety of fundraising challenges and events throughout the year. Everyone is pitching in however they can, no effort or donation is too small to matter.

Our flagship event will be the Brookbanks Sportive Charity Bike Ride – a cycling challenge designed for riders of all abilities. On 25th September 2025, 150 of us will hop on our bikes at the Watlington Cricket Club in Oxfordshire and pedal our hearts out for charity.

There are cycling routes suitable for everyone, with some joining a friendly 14-mile fun ride, while more avid cyclists will push themselves on an 87-mile endurance route. This will be our first ever charity sportive event, and the enthusiasm from colleagues, clients, and partners signing up has been tremendous. It’s not just about the cycling, it’s about coming together as a company and community to show support. We know that every turn of the wheel and every sponsorship pound raised will translate into real impact for cancer patients.

Danny's courage fuels our determination. Whenever the going gets tough in training or planning, we think of what Danny and remember why we’re doing this.

We Need You! Join Us in Making a Difference

This fundraising campaign isn’t just a corporate initiative – it’s deeply personal to all of us at Brookbanks. We’ve seen how cancer can affect anyone, even a young, healthy colleague in his prime. But we’ve also seen the incredible power of community support and expert care, embodied by Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, to turn fear into hope.

That’s why we’re asking you to join us in this effort. Please contact hello@brookbanks.com to sign up to take part in our Sportive event. Or if you can’t join the event, you can still donate on our JustGiving page. You can either allocate your donation to Brookbanks, or specifically to a Brookbanks employee to support their personal fundraising efforts.

Every donation, no matter how small, is meaningful. When you donate through JustGiving, your money goes straight to the charity, quickly, securely, and efficiently. You’ll be helping to ensure that someone diagnosed with cancer has access to the care they deserve close to home, and the support to keep living their life beyond a cancer diagnosis. You’ll be honouring Danny’s journey and the journeys of so many families like his.

On behalf of everyone at Brookbanks, thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping us to support this community driven that is close to our hearts.

Please join us or donate today and help us make a lasting impact!