A year of achievements

I don't wish this to be like a "round robin" letter, but in taking stock of the past year I can now see that it has been incredible. More people are aware of bowel cancer, Beating Bowel Cancer has helped more people, we have been closely involved in improving outcomes patients and developments in screening as a result of our campaigning. We can celebrate a real year of achievements.

This year we have, together, raised more awareness - on the streets, in newspapers, local and national radio, through events and campaigning, and much more. In so doing more people have heard the words "bowel cancer", perhaps for the first time, and more people will have got the message that it is serious, but beatable.  As we look to next year we can expect that some of them will spot the symptoms and get diagnosed earlier as a result - potentially saving their life.

We have also delivered support to more people affected by bowel cancer, with our Nurse Helpline (the UK's only nurse helpline for bowel cancer patients) often being a lifeline for those facing gruelling treatments, but also helping those worried about symptoms that scare them. Our Patient Day was another resounding success, with more attending than ever before. Patients tell us that they’re ‘stronger together’ and giving people the opportunity to support each other is right at the heart of what we do. The day remains a very special one in our annual calendar. We also reached out to the many fantastic nurses around the UK, with a national conference for colorectal nurses in London in September and a study day for nurses interested in bowel cancer in Glasgow in November.

In April, bowel cancer awareness month, we focused on improving screening methods, identifying inconsistencies and calling for the immediate introduction of an easier to do more sensitive test.  It was gratifying when Public Health England responded so positively and announced a pilot.  At the same time we launched our "Lift the Lid" message to get everyone talking about bowel cancer and had a phenomenal take up - with celebrities and leading politicians joining the conversation.

We also continued our focus on the need for cancer patients to get the drugs that their doctor says are vital to help them extend their lives and improve the quality of their lives.  We have been at the heart of a coalition of cancer charities pressing for a sustainable solution that guarantees these drugs will go on being delivered.  As we end the year it appears that we are being listened to and both the Coalition government and the Labour Opposition have now pledged that new cancer drugs and treatments should receive funding.  Now we need to work to ensure that how this is done is in the best interests of bowel cancer patients.

And let's not forget it being an amazing year of fundraising - it's what charities do to ensure we can go on doing what we are here for.  Individuals right across the UK, and quite a few from overseas, have supported us through their efforts.  Thank you.  Every one of you.  It is humbling to have your support for what many of you have called "a great charity".  I took part too - in that wet and wild Ride London in the tail end of a hurricane.  As a result I got the cycling bug and a whole lot fitter.

We have also suffered many losses - too many friends have been taken by bowel cancer. We also had the dreadful shock of losing our colleague and Beating Bowel Cancer nurse Gary Logue. We will remember them as the new year starts.

We know we have much more to do. We’re looking forward to making even greater progress in 2015 which wouldn’t be possible without your support.

You have all been amazing - it is a privilege to work with you. Season’s Greetings and I wish you all a peaceful festive season.

Mark X

It's time for beards

I want to talk about beards.  Not because I have one.  I don't.  But surely most men have wondered what they would look like with a beard?  And now is the time to try it out as Beating Bowel Cancer's Decembeard campaign has come round again - and this year it has a whole new look and a renewed momentum.

First, let me remind you of the campaign's origins.  Decembeard was established in the UK in 2011 after Chris Evans announced on twitter that he was going to take part in Decembeard as he’d missed Movember. Alison Selfe, a Beating Bowel Cancer supporter sadly no longer with us, immediately tweeted him back asking him to "do it 4 Beating Bowel Cancer", as she knew his father had died of the disease.  Chris Evans said "Deal" and the campaign was born.  I have to confess, like most men I suspect, I have always wondered what I would look like if I grew a beard and the chance to find out was too great. I immediately tweeted that I would join in.

My first ever beard - so proud!

The campaign has since has proved to be a huge success.  I make no apologies for the fact that it has raised money for us.  We can only do the work we do and help more people if we raise funds.  You only need to look at the transformation of Prostate cancer UK as a result of the many millions raised through Movember.  Greater public awareness of Prostate Cancer and the charity's ability to deliver more support to patients and families shows it's unarguable that fundraising does good.

For Beating Bowel Cancer, our Decembeard campaign has done something else.  It has got people talking and it has got bowel cancer a lot of attention.  That is good.  One of the frustrations expressed to me when I took over as Chief Executive in 2010 was that it was difficult to "cut through the noise", get ourselves heard and get attention for bowel cancer. So, every little helps and Decembeard is more than a little.  It is different.  It targets people who might otherwise ignore bowel cancer - men, particularly younger men.  It grabs people's attention just because it often uses humour.  Good charity communication is not about preaching or convincing people to be better or give more.  It is about making a connection and helping people "do good" in simple ways.

So, that is why we have worked hard to make Decembeard a big thing.  And the fact that it is big, and we hope will get a lot bigger, means we can do more as a charity.  We can go on funding the UK's only bowel cancer helpline, run by our fantastic nurses.  We can keep producing and distributing our accredited, vitally informative booklets and keep adding to them when we identify the need - such as the very recent one that addressed the anxieties people feel when waiting for their latest scan results, the "scanxiety" fact sheet.  We can keep holding the UKs, if not Europe's, largest meeting of bowel cancer patients, the annual Patient Day.  We can continue to make a noise about bowel cancer.  If we can make Decembeard bigger, very big, we can do big things.  We can reach more people, our nurses can support more people, we can run awareness campaigns to break the taboo that is bowel cancer. In short, we can beat bowel cancer in many more ways.

So, I am doing my beardy thing again!  I will be growing my stubble from 1st December, despite the fact that it really is not a very attractive look.  You can sponsor me here: Mark's Decembeard 2014.  I really am very grateful for your support.

But, why not go one better. Grow (or wear a false) a beard. Join in the fun and the fundraising.  Sign up to Decembeard at the fantastic new website. Remember - Real Men Grow Beards.

Sorry for the silence

It has been a while.  Thanks to two weeks holiday in September and then three pretty hectic weeks attending political party conferences I have not been in the office very much.  So, bear with me whilst I catch you all up.

First, on a personal note, my holiday was superb.  I am from the North East, as is my partner Karen, and going back up there (to a rented cottage near Alnwick) was a real tonic.  I was immensely proud of Karen as she started our week away by running the Great North Run, in bum shorts!  She started running simply to do the GNR, having got a ballot place and raised over £750.  She ran in a time of 2 hours 35 minutes which is pretty good for a first timer and on a very sunny day.  I was blown away by the crowds and, at the charity tent after, was chuffed to meet our team of runners as they came to say hello.  Everyone was brilliant but, if you don't mind, I will say I have a particular admiration for Ben Ashworth who did the GNR before going on to complete the sixth marathon of his target.  In fact Ben then went on to do another seventh marathon - and all while undergoing chemotherapy.  He is a hero.

Karen got a lot of attention running in bum shorts

After my two weeks off it was straight into party conference season, whereby I attended each of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat conferences.  The purpose is two-fold: to meet influential individuals within the parties, but also to connect with others in the charity world and in business who might be key partners in future.  We do not usually attend but, as these conferences are the pre general election ones, it is worth attending as you are talking about policies that could see the light of day within a year. In fact one of the best conversations I had was with the CEO of the Girl Guides, where we able to compare notes on our very different challenges.

The problem with being away is that you miss so much in the office.  That said I suspect the charity staff don't mind me not being there to have ideas! While I was away we had a very successful reception for some supporters at the residence of the London Lord Mayor, Mansion House (which I came back to attend), continued to work hard on getting sign-ups for Decembeard (join in the fun here) and staff discussed the results of a survey of their views about what works in the charity and where we could do better (vital if we are to always to perform at our best and achieve our goals).

Now I am back in the office.  The chilly air and leaves turning golden are a reminder that the year presses on.  So, it is time to focus on making the second half of the year as successful as the first. Plus we need to start thinking about the future, looking beyond 2015 to how we can be there for more people, get more people diagnosed earlier, campaign for better healthcare for bowel cancer patients and, yes, raise more funds to do all of this.  It is going to be a fun winter.

And, oh, yes.  Cycling.  Still getting out on the bike.  Just not as much as I would like thanks to being away and the nights getting darker.  And falling off!  I am afraid I failed to jump up a kerb properly and did a comedy fall over the handlebars fall, denting my helmet, probably cracking a rib and badly damaging my ego!  Bound to happen one day.  Here's to more time on the bike and next season will be about doing more rides.

Funding new cancer drugs to benefit bowel cancer patients

Since I last blogged I have been involved in various meetings and phone calls about a vital subject - getting new cancer drugs to patients in England.  You may have seen a little information about this on our website: Cancer Drugs Fund announcement.

We have also been working in Scotland and Wales to support bowel cancer patients and to press for urgent reform of their approaches.  Indeed, the Scottish Government has pledged to introduce a new system designed around the principles we outlined, although I suspect the pressing matter of a referendum on independence has been occupying their mind more of late!

Beating Bowel Cancer believes that doctors should have the freedom to prescribe the drugs for bowel cancer that they believe will benefit their patients.  This principle has particularly been applied in England over the last four years under a special pot of money called the Cancer Drugs Fund.  It has resulted in thousands of patients getting treatment that would otherwise have been denied.  The benefit to patients has been immense. I believe that, with the thousands of individuals who have benefited, we now have real world data that proves the benefits of the Fund and the value to patients.

Last week there was an announcement by NHS England that there is to be extra funding (£80 million a year) for the Fund until 2016.  This is welcome news.  Alongside this it was announced that the list of drugs under the Fund would be reviewed, to check that they reflect best practice and, crucially, to ask the drug companies to submit the evidence they now have around the experience of patients prescribed over the last four years.  Beating Bowel Cancer will be working very hard to hold all parties in NHS England and the government to their promise that bowel cancer patients will get the treatment they need. We expect that bowel cancer patients will continue to benefit from the Fund.

In the longer term, we need more certainty and to put in place a permanent solution to ensure patients get the drugs their doctors says they need.  We need an approach that ensures drugs reach patients based on a "real-world assessment" of their benefit.  We have been told that this is what NHS England and the government wish to do and their intention is to involve Beating Bowel Cancer and other charities. I have recently written about this issue in Remembering the patient in the Cancer Drugs Fund debate.

In the meantime, we will go on advocating for bowel cancer patients and making the case that they need to know all the options available to them.  What matters to us is the best possible care for bowel cancer patients.

Looking forward

A number of things have happened and are happening that have focused my mind on the future.

On a personal front my lovely daughter did very well in her GCSEs after working her socks off.  She is now at the Reading Festival (a popular place for GCSE results students I am told) and in three weeks it will be her 17th birthday.  All of which reinforces how time passes very quickly and how fortunate I am to be able to see my children grow up and mature into individuals of character.

On the Beating Bowel Cancer front we are looking to the short term future with the fantastic launch of our Decembeard fundraising campaign yesterday evening.  The event, held in London's Covent Garden was jam packed with friends and media all getting excited about our new brand and new plans and partnerships.  Watch this space, but expect bigger, better and, in the words of Theo, "watch out for Movember's hairier little brother".  I guarantee you will love it and we will raise both awareness and vital funds.

We are also looking at our charity strategy and how we are doing against the goals we set ourselves.  This is particularly important if we are to stretch our ambitions and, therefore, identify the additional need we can meet.  With this in mind I have been talking to our Finance and Fundraising Director about how we fund an expansion of our services to reach more people locally.  Making this happen will take time, but I am now sure we can add to what we already do and, in a significant way, be there when people need us even more.

On the cycling front (how can I blog without mention bikes) I am looking for my next challenge (maybe London to Paris for Beating Bowel Cancer?).  Whatever I do I would like to put a team of supporters together so we all ride and fundraise together. I hope to make something happen for next Spring. In the meantime, I will be carrying on cycling throughout the winter, which means buying good quality winter kit.

Just a few things I am thinking about of very many in my little head.  Have a good bank holiday weekend everyone.

Keep on pedalling

"Are you going to keep it up?" is the question I have been asked most after last Sunday's Ride London.  The second most asked question is "Did you enjoy it?".  The answer to the first is "Definitely".  To the second is "Not a lot, but I'm very glad I did it".

Riding 86 miles (not the 100 planned, as they closed the hills on very valid safety grounds), in what Chris Boardman called "Biblical" rain, was one of the experiences of my life.  It doesn't compare with the birth of my children, but at least this time I did all of the work!

I cannot ever forget being blase about standing in the open spaces of Richmond Park in a thunderstorm, holding a metal bike in my hands and not giving it a second thought.  And then being happy to set off again and ride through two or more foot deep puddles. Wet feet?  Not a problem.  Cold wet sprays of water in the face from the rider in front? Of course, carry on. Another 60 miles of it? Bring it on.  All in the cause of fulfilling Rule 9 in cycling (Google Velominati Rules to understand why that is significant).

Now the cycling shoes have dried out, the following are the lessons I have learnt:

• Training is everything.  It is not just about fitness, or learning to do the hills.  It is about putting yourself in a place where everything is familiar and things happen automatically.  On Sunday I found I just did things by second nature and was able to ignore tiredness, what few hills there were, and the need to stop for fuel because I had learned lessons over the Summer.
• Speed/pace is important to me.  While I was delighted with my time of 6:17 (5:44 moving time) I now wonder whether I could have done better if that is what I had worked on in training.  Of course, my focus was on simply doing the distance on the day, but...maybe...
• Smile for the camera.  There is not one picture, official or otherwise, that is any good of me on my bike. Either I look too fat (I know, lose more weight) or I am grimacing/have a determined look (you choose which).  A nice photo for the record would have been nice. That said, the one below with my family post event is a nice memory.
• Cheering crowds make you feel like a hero.  Towards the end the crowds were there and vocal. Riding up Whitehall to cheers and shouts was absolutely astounding and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  If you were there - thank you.
• There is nothing like a good sports massage.  Early on Wednesday morning I awoke in agony as my neck muscles went into spasm in a delayed reaction to six hours on a bike.  Not nice and very alarming. Today a lunchtime deep tissue massage looks like fixing it.  Worth every penny.
• Plan your next event.  I am keeping going.  There is a 69 mile ride in October I am going to do.  Then there is a London to Paris in the offing next Spring and a new ride in Wales worth doing in June 2015.  And, of course, Ride London 2015 - ballot opens 18th August.

So, time to get back on the bike.  Will aim to do 20 or so miles this evening and on Sunday we are riding out to do the hills we missed on Sunday.  I am looking forward to it.

My fundraising total so far is amazing, but if you wish to help continue our work - helping those with bowel cancer and beating bowel cancer through raising awareness you can still do so via: My Just Giving Page

Partner, children, nephew and his girlfriend - the family

Done

Phew. Did it. In a tropical storm. With flooded roads and very soggy spectators watching.

The downside was they cut out the hills which means I did 86 miles. It was a sensible decision to not do the hills as the conditions would have been desperately dangerous. Coming down off Leith Hill is dodgy at the best of times. But during a storm it would have been reckless. So, well done the ride organisers.

Sorry I couldn't ride each mile for the names. If it compensates I plan to ride the hills this weekend and do so in memory of those names. I hope you understand. 

The ride was one of the best things I ever did. I can't say it was enjoyable. Who would? But I am glad I did it. Yes, I will do it again next year. Along, I hope, with a London to Paris ride at some point. Join me?  

My official time was 6:17:42 and my move time, that is time on bike, was 5:44:56. Average speed was 14.9mph with a max speed of 31.8mph. Overall I was very consistent on pace, and speeded up towards the end. My legs, the calves, were very tired at the beginning and it was a real grind keeping going, but after half way, with end in sight, I took heart from the spectators and peddled harder. It was then that I enjoyed it most. And the best bit was coming through Whitehall, past the Houses of Parliament with the crowds cheering. And yes, I did get a lump in my throat across the finish line. Any water in my eyes though must only have been raindrops! 

Thank you for all your wonderful support. Thank you for all your wonderful donations. I have raised over £5,200, which is amazing and will really help our vital work.

So, who is up for going to Paris on a bike next Spring? X

Thank you

I want to say a massive thank you to the very many people who have been so fantastic and supportive in my training and my fundraising. When you say thank you there is always a risk, certainty even, that you will miss someone out and, therefore, offend. If you are that person - scream at me!  I don't want to miss anyone at all.  You have all been fantastic and I have felt incredibly supported.

Here goes then with my thanks to...

1. Every single one of you who donated to my fundraising effort. I have raised almost £5,000, which is amazing and is the equivalent of running our Nurse Helpline for more than three weeks.  I know lots of people ask for sponsorship for lots of events so don't think for a minute I don't appreciate you donating to our cause.  It means a lot.
2. It also means a lot that I will ride on 10th August in tribute to many individual names and also do the last mile dedicated to the unnamed who will get bowel cancer in the year to come.  Every name is a story and each means a lot to me.
3. Pete Digger deserves a special mention, generously lending me his road bike (it is a good one) and therefore starting me along the road to not just the 100 miles, but also to a healthier life as I am now a committed and enthusiastic cyclist.  Pete also generously donated to my Just Giving page and has even run a marathon for Beating Bowel Cancer.  He is a great supporter.
4. Another person I couldn't have done without is one of our team members, Andy Stevens.  He lives just a few miles from me and fantastically took me out on rides early in my training.  He was the one who got me up Box Hill first time and he has continued to provide encouragement and support.
5. Woking Cycle Club were also key to my progress. Turning up in June to their regular Sunday ride was nerve racking as I expected lycra clad time trialists expecting me to keep up.  Of course they were nothing like that. Everyone in the Club is friendly, keen to simply get everyone cycling whatever their ability and they have been ready with encouragement and advice that matched my own progress.
6. TomTom who responded to a request for GPS device (their sports watch) that would help me track my progress.  Very kind of them and very generous.  And it helped a lot.
7. Fiona at Wiggle who has a close family connection to bowel cancer and kindly sent me some kit and other useful stuff.  It is nice when people want to help.
8. Moyra, from Lamberts Healthcare, who was very kind and generous in providing nutrition advice - and protein powder to revive my tired muscles!
9. The Beating Bowel Cancer staff who generously and wonderfully joined together to donate to my Just Giving page.  They have been fantastic and enthusiastic in their support of their CEO taking on a challenge and then boring them silly with it!  They are a great, dedicated team - the best in my view.
10. And, finally, our Beating Bowel Cancer Ride London team, every one of whom is a hero and have my gratitude for their support.  Looking forward to joining you on the day.

Everyone has really helped me during my effort to get from unfit MAMIL to being a proper cyclist.  The event is this Sunday and what happens next is entirely up to me.

And if you still wish to donate, and help Beating Bowel Cancer help more people, you can at https://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3/ Wouldn't it be amazing if, with your help, we could reach £5,000 in donations?

See you at the finish line (gulp!).

Mark X

100 miles

I have all of the names.  Thank you.  This Sunday I will ride 100 miles for Beating Bowel Cancer in Ride London. Every mile will mean something to me.  99 will have a name alongside to pay tribute to one individual.  These names are below.

The last mile I will share with any additional names I receive and also dedicate it to all those who will get bowel cancer in the year ahead. A reminder that our work goes on to beat bowel cancer.  If you want to donate to help our work then you can for this last mile.  This will represent an investment in our nurses, our information, our awareness raising and our campaigns to secure the best possible treatments and care.

If you wish to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3 or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

The names I will ride in tribute to are:

Anne Carlin; Taryn “Smithers”; Gail Allen; Philip Willingham; Bill Bonfield; Beverly Jackson; John Hepworth; Effie Macdonald; Geraint Jones; Hannah Berry; Hazel Elkamouri; Alison Selfe; Alison Michell; Tony Levy; Jane Bardsley; Stewart Coxe; Susan Wilde; John Anton; Lisa Almond; Nia Jones; Ethel Randles; Ann Cole; Heather Spooner; Rose Sloper; Sally Tuxworth; Dafydd Farr-Jones; Susan Hill; Teresa Dealessi; Toni Millard; Mary Woolnough; Bill Luff; Olive Bennett; Melanie McGarry; All the Bum Bandits; Paul Bradbury; Matthew Stockdale; Elizabeth Fountain; Ian Fountain; Nick Busby; Lynda Leach; Steve Smith “Smiffy”; Billy Randles; Len Miller; Pat Morton; Carmen; Ke’hley; Lucy Edwards; Margery Hunter; Tracey Bushell; Avril Williams; Stan Williams; Andy Higginson; Chris Garner; The mother and father in law of Liz Torr; Myra Beckwith; Patricia Johnston; Valerie Johnson; David Hogan; Maxine Gould; Andrea Barlow; Pat Gravell; Ruth Spencer; Jim Marks; Cheryl Marks; Tim Brennan; Bob Johnston; Francis P. Rooney; Kim Cooper; June Watkins; Johanna Wathan; Kathleen Cannon; Elisabeth Strong; Keith Wiggans; Carly Wilton; Genie Henley; Mark Barnard; For all those on the Forum; David Craton; Leo McGill; Peter Bainbridge; Ian Mashen; Cath Scurrah; Mark Robson; Derek Ieuan Lewis; Rae Heald; Irene Wood; Mrs Awobode; Maggie Ryan; Malcolm Hume; Sandra Stokes; Pauline Toft; Steve Hyde; Kath Maynard; Ben Ashworth; Kate Kunzer; John Dixon; Pete Andrews; John Barrett; Roger Band, Jean Unsworth.

I know many of these names and it is my privilege to count them as friends.  There are too many in the list who are no longer with us and I, along with others, miss them every day.

Thank you for your support.  This means so much to me and really helps our work. Together we will beat bowel cancer.

If you wish to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3 or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

Time to taper

Phew.  Nearly there.  After last Sunday's long, 95 miles, ride to Shoreham-on-Sea I was conscious not to listen to my legs and taper too soon.  So, I did 12 miles, 46 miles, 51 miles and 43 miles.  Now I can taper! This week I will simply take the bike out for a spin on Wednesday and Friday.  I will try and get as much sleep as I can.  And I will carbohydrate load like mad!

It has been a good week.  On Wednesday I took a half day's holiday and met some of Woking Cycle Club to pop out to Box Hill and we had fun enjoying the sun and each other's company.  Saturday I was delighted to meet Niamh and Marc from our Beating Bowel Cancer Ride London team and, again with some of Woking CC, we "did the hills" - Newlands, Leith and Box. It was great to do them in one go and it was even better to think that the next time would be for real.  Leith was as tough as I have come to expect and I did it, according to Strava, in my quickest time.  That was despite my chain coming off near the start.

With Niamh and Marc at the top of Box Hill - the three hills done

Yes, I am nervous about Sunday.  But I am sure it will be fine. Everything I have learnt tells me that the day is so fantastic that everyone enjoys it and the atmosphere helps your legs do the distance.  My legs are tired after last week's rides but the rest this week will get them ready to be punished again on Sunday.  All I have to do is keep peddling.

If you wish to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

Sore legs

Phew.  Did it.  95 miles last Sunday to Shoreham-on Sea and back.  It was mainly flat but that doesn't take away from how chuffed I am to have done such a distance.  It also doesn't take away how sore my legs are even two days later.  Glad I have booked a sports massage for this Friday.

The ride was glorious - as most of the rides this Summer have been.  We only had a light rain shower for 20 minutes and that was welcome on a warm day.  As we were the "social" group of the three rides on the day we took our time, but still managed to do 13.1mph, which is not bad with a mixed group with lots of stops. It was a long day - we left at 8am and only got back home at 6pm.  Of course we had a nice lunch in Shoreham-on-Sea and a stop for a pint of orange juice and lemonade 10 miles from home.  In fact the lunch was hilarious as everything we asked for they didn't have and when I asked for fries they said they couldn't do an individual portion only a bucket!

I learned a lot on Sunday about fuelling and hydration which I am sure I will use well during Ride London. One particularly useful piece of food advice is that the cheese straws are delicious from the village store in Peaselake.

Woking Cycle Club at Peaselake, where the cheese straws are delicious

Now onwards to Sunday 10th.  I am excited and nervous in equal amounts about the event.  I have never done any event before.  I will only believe it when I am well on the way.

Before then I am meeting more of Beating Bowel Cancer's Ride London team this Saturday to do the hills again - wish us luck. Then another Woking CC social ride before gently tapering next week until the big day. I am also looking forward to attending the Ride London Cycle Show at the Excel Centre to register and pick up my rider numbers.  I hope to meet a lot of our team there.

If you wish to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

Almost there

I am very grateful to everyone for providing names for my 100 miles 100 names list for Ride London. I have 80 and look forward to receiving more. Every name has a story. Some are heartbreaking and I wish everyone who has lost someone my deepest sympathy and promise that we will do all we can to beat bowel cancer in every way.  To those still facing bowel cancer my message is that we are here for you. We provide support and information and we raise awareness so that others get the message that bowel cancer can be diagnosed early and lives can be saved.

The list of names now is as follows: Anne Carlin, Taryn "Smythers"' Gail Allen, Philip Willingham, Bill Bonfield, Beverly Jackson, John Hepworth, Effie Macdonald, Geraint Jones, Hannah Berry, Hazel Elkamouri, Alison Selfe, Alison Michell, Tony Levy, Jane Bardsley, Stewart Coxe, Susan Wilde, John Anton, Lisa Almond, Nia Jones, Ethel Randles, Anne Cole, Heather Spooner, Rose Sloper, Sally Tuxworth, Dafydd Farr-Jones, Susan Hill, Teresa Dealessi, Toni Millard, Mary Woolnough, Bill Luff, Olive Bennett, Melanie McGarry, The "Bum Bandits", Paul Bradbury, Matthew Stockdale, Elizabeth Fountain, Ian Fountain, Nick Busby, Lynda Leach, Steve Smith ("Smiffy"), Billy Randles, Len Miller, Pat Morton, Carmen, Ke'hley, Lucy Edwards, Margery Hunter, Tracey Bushell, Avril Williams, Stan Williams, Andy Higginson, Chris Garner, Liz Torr's mother and father in law, Myra Beckwith, Patricia Johnston, Valerie Johnson, David Hogan, Maxine Gould, Andrea Barlow, Pat Gravell, Ruth Spencer, Jim Marks, Cheryl Marks, Tim Brennan, Bob Johnson, Francis P. Rooney, Kim Cooper, June Watkins, Johanna Wathan, Kathleen Cannon, Elisabeth Strong, Keith Wiggins, Carly Wilton, Genie Henley, Mark Barnard, All those on the Beating Bowel Cancer Forum, David Craton, Peter Bainbridge, Leo McGill.  I have added two of my own, my Uncle and a friend who died of bowel cancer aged 68 and 27 respectively. Bowel cancer can affect anyone at any age.

I would like just 19 more names to reach the 99 I want to pay tribute to. And from that point you can also donate for the last mile, which I will ride for all those who will get bowel cancer in the year to come. I know it shouldn't be about the money and if you have a name and can't donate that is fine, just let me have the name. But if you can, think about this. Bowel cancer is a huge problem, affecting thousands each year - the same numbers pretty much as prostate cancer. Yet our income as a charity is small. We need to grow so we can do more and get the message out that people need to be aware. We need to save lives and help people facing the UK's second biggest cancer killer.

So, back to the training. I think it is going well. I have done the hills including Leith Hill three times. The last time I did Leith the proper route was blocked off for road repairs so we went up another way. That was brutal! Apparently the route was the toughest one to do, so feeling chuffed about that. My nephew  joined us on the day and yes he is wearing a full Team Sky kit.

He is allowed as he works for Sky and is a member of their staff cycling club.  Still, we did take the mickey as all cyclists have to when they see anyone wearing Team Sky kit.  

This weekend we are riding down to Littlehampton and back, which is 90 miles. We will be going over the South Downs which will present some challenging hills. So, completing this ride well will hopefully prove that I can do the 100 on 10th August.  The next significant outing after this Sunday will be on 2nd August, when I will meet a few of our Beating Bowel Cancer team to do a final recce of the hills.  Looking forward to that. I love meeting our team. Each has their story to tell and their commitment to our charity is wonderful.

Nearly there. Just a little over two weeks. Getting nervous and excited. Still can't believe I am doing this. 

Please let me have names by email mark.flannagan@beatingbowelcancer.org or via Twitter (@MarkFlannCEO) or via Beating Bowel Cancer's Facebook page. If you to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

The list of names is growing

It is very touching to receive each name for my 100miles100names Ride London tribute. Each name has a story and I am grateful for all the donations that I receive against them.

I really do want to complete the list so, please, pass this on - I want every mile to be a tribute, to ride each mile for someone with, someone who survived, or someone we have sadly lost to bowel cancer.  I hope that everyone will get something out of the fact that a mile on the 10th August will be dedicated.  I promise to take time on the day to read the list as I go along and to say the names to myself, so no-one gets forgotten.

And the 100th mile will be dedicated to all those who will get bowel cancer in the year ahead, as a symbol of Beating Bowel Cancer's ongoing support and care.  So, if you wish, you can donate for their needs.

100miles100names
Please let me have names by email mark.flannagan@beatingbowelcancer.org or via Twitter (@MarkFlannCEO) or via Beating Bowel Cancer's Facebook page. If you to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

Lots going on

There is so much to tell you, so bear with me while I try and squeeze it all in coherently and sensibly.

First, I am very touched at so many positive comments about my 100 miles100names plan (thanks to wonderful supporter Dafydd for the idea).  If you remember, the idea is that I ride each mile of Ride London for a named person, i.e. someone we have lost, a survivor, or someone undergoing treatment.  Each mile will be both a tribute and a reminder why we need to beat bowel cancer.  I have decided that I would like 99 names and mile 100 will be dedicated to all those who will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in the year to come. A reminder that our fight to beat bowel cancer goes on.  See below for how to let me have your name, or how to donate for that last mile.
The names so far are: Anne Carlin; Taryn (“Smithers”);Gail Allen; Philip Willingham; Bill Bonfield; Beverly Jackson; John Hepworth; Effie Macdonald; Geraint Jones; Hannah Berry;Hazel Elkamouri; Alison Selfe; Alison Michell; Tony Levy; Jane Bardsley; Stewart Coxe; Susan Wilde; John Anton;; Lisa Almond; Nia Jones; Ann Cole; Rose Sloper; Sally Tuxworth; Dafydd Farr-Jones; Susan Hill; Teresa Dealessi; Toni Millard, Ethel Randles; Billy Randles, Carly Wilton.

Canon Hillas

The second item on my list is a giant loo roll!  As part of the City of London Lord Mayor's Appeal last Friday we were able to reach out to the public in the City with our giant loo roll outside St Paul's Cathedral. The Lord Mayor, Fiona Woolf, was there to present us with a cheque for £125,000 and one of the Canons of St Paul's, Tricia Hillas, came to to show her support.  She left wearing a bum badge on her cassock.
A great day with over 1,000 leaflets handed out, many conversations had and a few individuals with possible symptoms directed to go and see their GP. If just one life was saved as a result it is worth it.

Top of Leith Hill

Now, back to the Ride London training.  A good weekend, if not the greatest distance - I did 40 then 50 miles.  But, on Saturday I met up with some of our Beating Bowel Cancer team and, along with members of Woking Cycle Club, we did part of the route, including Leith Hill.  A very early start, 7am, but a glorious day and a great ride.  Only downside was taking my eye off the road and hitting a pot hole resulting in a fall giving me a few bruises, a stiff wrist and a bumped head.  Don't worry, the bike is alright!  It was lovely to meet some of the team who are all raring to go for the day itself.  I really am grateful for their enthusiastic support.  So, thanks Lee, Keith and Jon.  Less than four weeks to go now.  In fact in four weeks my legs will be sore and I will be looking for my next challenge,

And, in more news, I have chosen a bike.  It is a Giant Defy 1 and I hope to pick it up within the next week or so so that I can train on it and then do Ride London on it.  It is a gorgeous machine and perfect for a novice like me.  Take a look: Defy 1.

100miles100names
Please let me have names by email mark.flannagan@beatingbowelcancer.org or via Twitter (@MarkFlannCEO) or via Beating Bowel Cancer's Facebook page. If you to donate you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

100 miles 100 names

As I do the Ride London I want each mile to be a tribute to those with bowel cancer, and to those whom we have lost to bowel cancer. So, on the day of the event - 10th August - I will ride each mile for one named person and I want you to give me each name.

It will be the fact that each mile has a name that is special that will keep me going.  On the day I will carry all 100 names with me and at each stop take time to reflect on the names I have just "ridden a mile" for.

To do this all I need is you to let me have a name and, at the same time if you wish, donate at least £3 via my Just Giving page or via Text Giving.  If I get 100 names, and if everyone donated at least £3 that would raise £300 - the cost of running our nurse helpline for a day.  That would mean we can be there to help more people.

Please let me have names by email mark.flannagan@beatingbowelcancer.org or via Twitter (@MarkFlannCEO) or via Beating Bowel Cancer's Facebook page and I will add any I get.  I would welcome any donations people choose to make.  Our cause is good and the money raised will help us to help others.

If you do wish to give you can via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.  or you can text Flan51 and your amount to 70070

Thank you

Mark X

Remembering those we have lost

It is difficult to write this post because it talks about remembering those we have lost. There are days when I think about the people I had almost daily contact with and I’m caught short by the realisation that they aren't going to tweet, text, message or call me.

Staff at Beating Bowel Cancer talk to patients and their families every day.  Many of them have advanced cancer. Being there for them and helping them make sense of what is happening to them are just two of the many reasons why it’s vital that Beating Bowel cancer exists.  Every member of the team feels it very deeply when we lose someone. Quite truthfully and horribly people die and we mourn them. The fact that it happens too frequently does not mean it gets less painful. It is not for any of us "just a job".

As Chief Executive of a cancer charity I feel it is my responsibility to remember every day that our purpose is to both be there when people need us and to make bowel cancer a rare and not a common cancer killer. This is not for me an abstract motivation.  In the four years I have had the privilege of leading the charity my view on life has been changed by meeting individuals facing the bleakest of prospects.  Each one has shown me that dealing with something that is normally unthinkable, our death, is often done with dignity and humour.

That is why remembering individuals who are no longer with us is, for me, a personal tribute to their life.  I discussed this with colleagues and it was only then that I learned about the Much Loved website that allows tributes to be made to those we have lost.  I am pleased that we have now joined this and hope that this online service will help those who are mourning.  It allows you to leave messages and fond memories of loved ones. It is just one thing we can do to help remember people we have lost.

In tribute to those people, and for everyone who has been affected by bowel cancer, I’ll be taking part in Ride London on 10 August, cycling 100 miles to raise much needed funds for our work. If you can, please be generous and donate via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3. 

The Hills!!!!

That's it.  I have "done" the dreaded Ride London hills in one session.

Newlands - tick.  Leith - tick.  Box - tick (and pleasurable)

Ok, I did them after just 20+ miles, not the 55+ on the day, but there is time to do more before 10th August. I was still smiling after them (see photo) and even after doing just over 70 yesterday I still had room for more.  I concentrated yesterday on my fuel and that seemed to work.  I am ignoring the nay sayers who mention glycogen rushes each time I take a bite of home-made flap jack.  Yesterday was a good day, particularly after Saturday's planned ride was a wash out.  The country side was glorious.  The chilly start turned into perfect temperatures for ride.  The company of Woking Cycle Club was, as always, lovely.

So, I have a start time of 8.07, which annoyed me as I feel it is too late.  But, parking at London Bridge is booked and I am giving someone a lift.  The day is coming.  Getting excited.  Can't wait.

In my next blog I will say more about why this event is important to me and my plans to remember some of those we have lost. In the meantime, keep spinning!

I would like your support. £300 could run our nurse helpline for a day. £100 could enable our patient volunteers to talk to local groups to raise awareness. £50 could cover the cost of running our online patient forum for a day, where patients talk to each other, providing support and reassurance. If you can, please be generous and donate via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.

An interesting and educational weekend

Every time out on the bike I learn something new - hills, cadence, fuelling properly, etc. This weekend I learned lots - including something I don't want to see again.

To begin with lessons learned and some team work arose out of a bad situation.  A lovely ride to take in Box Hill with seven others on Saturday turned into a close call for one and his pelvis broken.  We were coming down the other side of Box Hill and Mike was taking a corner when his brakes locked, he skidded into an oncoming van and ended up on his back in the middle of the road.  Result was ambulance, paramedic, assorted police cars (including a full road traffic accident team), a stressed out group of cyclists and a phone call to his wife.  Mike has broken his pelvis in two places and we are waiting to see how long to recover. No Ride London to raise funds for the MS Society for him (we had just been talking fundraising tips).  The lessons?  Things can change very quickly. When accidents happen everyone has a role and people come together very well.  So, not a nice thing to happen but the team came together.  Mike has all our best wishes for a speedy recovery. And I don't think his back wheel is fixable!

Not going anywhere - new wheel needed

We rode back under a cloud and completed the 46 miles at a slower speed than we set out to.  A real shame as we were all on a high after taking Box Hill pretty much easily.

The talk at the Woking Cycle Club meet up on Sunday was about Mike and wishing him well.  Then off to Windsor town centre for our half way stop.  This ride, 32 miles total, was another reminder how dodgy it can be to be on the roads.  It seemed that there were more drivers than ever trying to overtake at speed, getting frustrated when they couldn't (and why do they insist on doing so on a blind bend?), pulling in on our riders and then shouting or showing abuse.   Time for education that riding single file isn't an option as that makes overtaking harder (longer line to drive past), that two abreast is safer for everyone and that, frankly, car drivers being an unmentionable doesn't help.

Anyway...the ride was pleasant despite some drivers (and many were really very good) and I added to the 32 miles with another 24 of my own to make 56 miles in one go - key goal reached.  Over 100 miles in two days.  Legs aren't too tired, I slept well and raring to go (after two rest days to come).

Next Sunday we plan to recce the Surrey Hills part of the Prudential Ride London route, including doing Leith Hill.  Aiming for 60+ miles too.  So, despite an accident and being conscious of the road, I am feeling very positive about cycling.  Can't stop now. Seven weeks and it will be done and I will be looking for my next challenge.

I would like your support. £300 could run our nurse helpline for a day. £100 could enable our patient volunteers to talk to local groups to raise awareness. £50 could cover the cost of running our online patient forum for a day, where patients talk to each other, providing support and reassurance. If you can, please be generous and donate via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.

The difference we make and why I need your support

The Beating Bowel Cancer nurses - Louisa, Jenny, Gill & Gary

Eight weeks this Sunday I will be out there cycling 100 miles in the Prudential Ride London for Beating Bowel Cancer.  Every mile will be dedicated to the memory of those we have lost and to all those affected by bowel cancer in so many ways. I hope to include as many of these names as possible on my ride shirt on the day.

I am immensely proud of the work Beating Bowel Cancer does.  We do a huge amount to beat the UK's second biggest cancer killer. One service I am particularly proud of is our nurse helpline - the only one for bowel cancer patients. What our nurses do makes a difference. For example, our nurse Gary recently spent an hour and a half on the phone with one patient, listening, providing information and reassurance, and discussing possible treatment options. That call made a huge difference to the person at the other end. It is just one example of the difference we make.

We are there for patients every day. We help and support thousands every year. That is why I have set my ambitious goal to raise £10,000 by taking part in Ride London. This sum will be a significant help towards funding our vital services.

I would like your support. £300 could run our nurse helpline for a day. £100 could enable our patient volunteers to talk to local groups to raise awareness. £50 could cover the cost of running our online patient forum for a day, where patients talk to each other, providing support and reassurance. If you can, please be generous and donate via www.justgiving.com/Mark-Flannagan3.

Making progress - not long now

What a great weekend's cycling.  Here am I with Andy at the top of Box Hill, completed as part of a 45 mile ride Friday evening.  Clever Andy (in the Beating Bowel Cancer top) didn't tell me we were going up until we were almost there.  He knows how to manage me!  I know Box Hill isn't the hardest on the Ride London route but doing it felt like a real achievement.  And doing it on a gorgeous evening felt life affirming.  By the way, I will remember May and June for the weather being pretty good as I have been on some glorious bike rides in the Surrey countryside.

Sunday was the second Woking Cycle Club social ride.  The "social" refers to the pace, which was less than 11mph.  I chose this because I wanted to enjoy myself after Friday and couldn't be certain I would keep up with a ride of 15mph.  We went out to Farnham and back via some lovely country roads.  The hills are much less troublesome when you are taking your cue from others also pedalling up them.  We took the half way break at a lovely country life centre with, of course, cake!  Overall, door to door, it was 40 miles at a very easy going pace allowing time to chat, enjoy the scenery and concentrate on gears going up hills.

Next stop is to get the miles up to or beyond 60 and to get those Hills on route done.  There is a ride of 65 miles taking in much of the Ride London route on 29th June and I will see if I am up for it in a week or so. On 27th July the Cycle Club are doing a seaside run of 100 miles there and back. Initially I thought that would be a good thing to do two weeks short of Ride London, but now I wonder whether it is wise to do a full 100 so close, particularly as a novice.  Too much can go wrong.  So I may just do the outward leg and train it home with others who are also so minded.

All in all, feeling fitter, sleeping better, enjoying the cycling and definitely want to continue beyond 10th August.  I will, of course, need to get a permanent bike.  Time to buy a Lottery ticket!

In the meantime, there is just nine weeks to go until the Ride London 100.  Eek!!!!

I am taking part in Ride London on 10 August, aiming to raise £10,000 for Beating Bowel cancer's work.  I would be delighted if you could show your support with a donation on my Just Giving page.  Thank you. X

Time to step it up

It feels different. I am beginning to feel like a "proper" cyclist, and not just someone out on a bike trying to keep going for as long as possible.  It is thanks to a very nice man called Andy, one of our Ride London team, who has taken me out twice now - first for 37 miles and second for 29 miles with a few hills.  His patience and advice have been very welcome and it has been a tremendous reassurance to have his confidence that I will do this.

And, after riding 29 miles last Saturday, I still managed to meet up for the first time with Woking Cycle Club on Sunday morning.  I had to get up at 6am to be breakfasted, digested and there for an 8am start.  It was hard work motivating myself to get up and out. I hadn't slept that well or for very long and had a cold. I am delighted I got off my butt and did it though.  It was glorious.  The Club are really friendly and very welcoming.  There were quite a few new members of all backgrounds so I felt very comfortable.  The ride turned out to be a slow one (10.28mph), which is usual for the new members day.  They also have faster (up to 16mph) rides, not quite for me - yet.  We rode to Esher and stopped at 21 miles at G!RO Cafe for coffee and cake, meeting up with the faster groups.

The second half was back off into the Surrey countryside, seeing places I had never been to despite living in the area for over 8 years. There are some very nice houses tucked away down those country lanes.  There were a few hills that would have left me breathless just weeks ago, but I sailed up them.  At points I was able to buddy up and chat on stretches, which gave me a chance to ask questions about Ride London logistics and about Leith Hill.  The consensus on Leith Hill was there are no tricks, just endure, and perhaps fit better gears!  We ended back up where we started, Woking Leisure Centre, having done 37+ miles, which meant 44 miles for me door to door - hooray!

So, the plan now is to move the schedule up and, with light training during the week, see if I can tackle 50 miles this Saturday - taking my own pace and learning about fuelling up as I go.  Hopefully I can find someone to come with me.  Then I will definitely be up again Sunday to meet the Woking Cycle Club team for another lovely ride - and cake!  And I can't wait.  I love it.

I am taking part in Ride London on 10 August, aiming to raise £10,000 for Beating Bowel cancer's work.  I would be delighted if you could show your support with a donation on my Just Giving page.  Thank you. X

If you need just one reason

I can give you lots of reasons why I need your support in my Ride London effort.  Our nurses and how they need funding to do their valuable work every day.  Our information (booklets and via our website) that provide support and a source of hope for those dealing with bowel cancer and why we need to print more. Our approach to awareness raising by breaking the taboo, being the charity that challenges society to talk more about bottoms and bowels and the need to fund new campaigns that do this.  Or even the simple fact that we are still far too small and need to grow our income, our impact and our reach.

Personally, I was inspired to take part, despite my reservations about the size of the challenge and my ability to do it, by meeting one man.  I spoke to Christian Alvey on the day of last year's Ride London (pictured here on the right, with our Patron Matt Dawson) and was deeply affected by his story.  You can read it here http://www.justgiving.com/Christian-Alvey-RL100.

Quite simply, after hearing Christian's story there was no excuse for not signing up to do this year's Ride myself.  Christian exemplifies the heart of why we need to do what we do and why I, as Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, spend my days focused on our vital work.

So, whether you support me via my own Just Giving page (you can do so here), or whether you support Christian, or whatever way you show your support - thank you.  We are dealing with a cancer that needs to be beaten - whatever that means for every individual.  Beating Bowel Cancer will be here for you and for everyone we can.  We will do our best to make life better for those dealing with bowel cancer.  We will challenge society to listen about bowel cancer, to talk about it and, together, we will do our best to beat bowel cancer.

Thank you. X

Starting late

So, training has started.  Ouch!  Because I didn't have a road bike and the weather was pretty lousy I confined myself to the gym until recently, concentrating on building stamina and just getting used to exercise from doing nothing at all.  Then a very kind friend lent me his old bike - the Fuji you can just see in the picture.  It was time to get serious. Fortunately I live in Surrey (Woking border) and it is easy to get out into country lanes with their deceptively long slow inclines and, mercifully, not too much traffic.

I bought shoes and cleats, and scrounged up some reasonable gear and set off for a "quick" ride.  Six miles and one fall later I had started.  That was on 27 April.  I pushed the rides up and the miles then went from 9.7 to 15.6 to 18.3 to 21.7 and yesterday I hit 26.6 miles.  The last two rides were in cold, damp and windy conditions so I learned a lot about staying warm, adding fuel and the need for better socks!  I have also seen areas near where I live that I have never been to before.  There is something good about going down a road and hoping you are not about to set off on a dead end or a 10 mile detour.

The challenges so far are clear.  I need to improve my pace - still feels too slow to be able to complete the Ride London.  I need to get sorted on how to tackle even the smallest incline - one early on in my route has left me exhausted.  How will I ever get up Box and Leith Hills at this rate?  I need to start enjoying it - it is still something I have to do rather than want to.  But...I do feel great.  I feel a little slimmer, and expect weight to go as I seem to be burning close to 2000 calories per ride.  I am sleeping like a baby.  

I am nervous about getting to the level needed to do the Ride London, but have to trust that I will - if I get out there and build the miles up.  Who knows, maybe I will become a "proper" cyclist" and even buy my own bike one day?

And finally, proof.  This is a pretty poor selfie taken just before my first ride of just 6 miles. Hides the double chin (almost).  I will post another soon, when you can see I am beginning to look like a real cyclist.

I am taking part in Ride London on 10 August, aiming to raise £10,000 for Beating Bowel cancer's work.  I would be delighted if you could show you support with a donation on my Just Giving page.  Thank you. X

It has been hectic

With apologies for the silence, but the last few weeks have been very busy.

Our Patient Day was a stunning success - the biggest ever with great speakers. We heard from patients about their experiences and they gave wise advice about how to handle different aspects of bowel cancer. We heard from senior clinicians - doctors and nurses - about everything from trends in treatment to the psychology of being diagnosed with bowel cancer.  And we celebrated the best of us all with our Achievement Awards, given to five amazing individuals who are all helping to beat bowel cancer.  This year they were presented by Lord Mayor of London, Fiona Woolf CBE.  That's the lovely Gail Allen in the picture receiving hers alongside the Lord Mayor and our Chairman Sir Christopher Pitchers.

Ten days before I was locked in a radio studio doing back to back interviews with local stations talking about the need to have that life-saving conversation about bowel cancer and the need to Lift the Lid.  It was all about getting the message out, raising awareness and getting people diagnosed earlier.  I also talked about the need for the roll out of a new screening test which is easier to do and more accurate and, when introduced nationally, should improve screening uptake and so lead to many more being diagnosed earlier. We called for this knowing it was being considered for piloting - and we had asked for this many times in the past.  But in all our conversations and all our meetings we had no clear statement that it would be introduced anytime soon. Well, thanks to that little extra pressure Public Health England announced that the first pilots are to take place. Getting there over the years has been the collaborative work of many, but on the day we know the pressure to finally act was thanks to our Lift the Lid Day.

All in all, a successful bowel cancer awareness month.  Lots of conversations were had, many on our Message Wall, including posts from politicians and celebrity supporters. We won a specific response from a governmental body.  We announced our two new Ambassadors - Freya North and Kevin Sheedy.  We got massive media coverage numbering hundreds of local radio and press items. And, all in all, lots of awareness was raised.

Our work goes on.  Our nurses are here to help and in the future we need to help more people than we are able to now.  It's the people we are not able to be there for that keep me awake at night.  We are relatively small when compared to other cancer charities but our need is as big.  So, we need to help more people and make more noise.

I am taking part in Ride London on 10 August, aiming to raise £10,000 for Beating Bowel cancer's work.  I would be delighted if you could show you support with a donation on my Just Giving page.  Thank you. X

Inspired

On Sunday I welcomed the Beating Bowel Cancer London Marathon runners to our post-race reception.  It's hard not to end up using cliches, as each runner was inspiring and their dedication to our cause is amazing.  What was also amazing was that each time I said thank you for running for us and for raising much needed sponsorship every one, without exception, said "No.  Thank you".  They each said it was a privilege and said that they are were delighted to support such a wonderful charity.

Our runners had different stories about why they got involved and raised money for us.  Mandy is a nurse diagnosed with bowel cancer two years ago and she found that the support our own nurses gave her and our information booklets we provided really helped her make sense of what she was going through.  Ian, whose soldier brother has advanced bowel cancer, said that what we do is great and our willingness to challenge the taboo by talking about bottoms means that others will not have to go through what his brother has gone through.  Victoria, running in memory of her sister said that the support we provided Hannah with was amazing and that she and her family appreciated this.

I am incredibly proud of Beating Bowel Cancer and its work.  We run the only bowel cancer helpline in the UK.  We send out tens of thousands of support booklets each year. We work with patients' cancer nurses to support them in their care.  We bring patients, family and relatives together through our online forum, our Facebook Groups, our local fundraising activities and our annual Patient Day (the next one being on 26th April).  We raise awareness everywhere we can - not least through a constant stream of articles in the media practically every day of the year.  We even challenge governments to do better - having won two significant campaigns in the past year.  And it is still not enough. We need to do more and we need more money to do it.

So that is why I am doing Ride London.  I want to join the hundreds of individuals who support us by running, cycling, and in many other ways.  I want to do my bit to beat bowel cancer.  If you wish to support me and our work then I would be very grateful, just click this link: Mark's Just Giving page.

Thank you XXX

Lift the lid - have that conversation to beat bowel cancer

This month we start our campaign to get people to Lift the Lid and talk about what must be one of our last taboos - bowel cancer.  We want everyone to join in and talk about bowels, bottoms and bowel cancer - and to raise awareness, improve screening uptake and, ultimately, help save lives.  Because we just don't talk enough about this cancer.

Everywhere I go people ask me about my bum shorts badge on my lapel and I always ask them to identify what it is all about.  "Prostate cancer?" is a common guess.  Never has anyone said bowel cancer.  So, that gives me the chance to start a conversation.  I usually ask people to guess just how big an issue bowel cancer is - and no-one ever gets it right by correctly saying it is a big cancer killer (second biggest) and a very common cancer (fourth).  I also surprise people - shock them even - by pointing out that bowel cancer is effectively 93% "curable" (five year survival in official terms).  From family members to shopkeepers to high profile people in the media to senior politicians every one of them has been really surprised that bowel cancer can have such a huge survival rate.  Every one of them has got the fact that we can turn bowel cancer from a common cancer killer to a rare cancer killer.

So, this month we need to start the conversation that will save lives.  We need to Lift the Lid on bowel cancer.  Please do all you can.  Twenty years ago we didn't talk about breast or prostate cancer.  Now we know that they can be beaten and that we need to be more aware to save lives.  I want us all to do the same for bowel cancer. 

Some thoughts on a busy week

This past week has been about a lot of different things.  As always at this time of year we have been preparing to launch our awareness activities during April.  Our campaign to Lift the Lid will, we hope, get people talking about one of the last taboos in society.  It uses our typical approach, using toilet seats and a little humour to try and get people to talk.

But, the last week has also been about other things, such as: men and bowel cancer; the way in which the "new" NHS structures work, or don't, for bowel cancer patients; how to get our other campaigns and fundraising plans to be more effective; and a host of internal issues concerned with running a busy charity trying to "punch above its weight".  But, every day I keep coming back to one thing - how can we do more?

The challenge for a charity our size - with a comparatively small income compared to other cancer charities - is how to grow to help more people.  I want to get to more people because I see the great work we do. Gary, one of our Helpline nurses, said it well:

"I believe I am affecting lives for the better. When someone calls the helpline, I am able to give them a listening ear, informed advice and as much time as they need. I feel privileged to be part of the work of Beating Bowel Cancer and to be able to provide this essential support to people at what can often be a time of crisis.”

A small problem - no bike!

Ok.  I do have a bike.  But it's a mountain bike.  I am told that beginning road training this is ok, but I need to get a proper road bike and associated "kit" soon.  Off to my local bike shop - Switchback cycles in Woking - who are terrific.  Their owner is even doing Ride London, having got a place through the ballot.  He isn't fundraising for a charity - yet!  By the time I am finished with him he will - for us!  Jamie, their expert, tells me that I need a list of things, which are: Giant Defy One Bike, Inner tubes x 2, Pedals, Garmin navigator (nice to have apparently), Shoes, Bottle cage x 2, Bottles x 2, Bib shorts, Shorts, Jersey, Gloves, Baselayer.  All of these are new to me (well the bike is expected).  And I thought a bike came with pedals but it doesn't!!!  Total cost just shy of £1,400.  Wow!  How does everyone else do it?  I really appreciate now how committed our Beating Bowel Cancer Ride London team must be.

So, who wants to help me out?  Anyone got a bike to donate at least?  Just asking. X

If you want help and information about bowel cancer please go to: www.beatingbowelcancer.org.