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.