A Northumberland man has helped to raise well over £30,000 over more than a decade for the charity Prostate Cancer UK. Steve Baptist, 46, from Ashington has been helping to organise fundraising walks inspired by his dad's own diagnosis.
A personal inspiration
Steve's dad Ken was diagnosed with cancer shortly prior to the first walk. Steve told ChronicleLive: "My dad had a prostate cancer diagnosis a little over 10 years ago. At the same time, I had seen Jeff Stelling doing all of his walks for the charity. And I was at the local football club and just said to everyone here - 'do we want to organise our own walk?'
"I think it started off with just six of us. This year, we wanted to finish after the ten years - but I have had a lot of people asking 'what's next year?' We'll have to have a think."
Seeing the impact
Steve said that over the years he and friends had raised thousands - while his dad defied the disease, too. He said seeing how Prostate Cancer UK use the money raised had been a moving experience. He said: "A few years ago, they invited us to see the research going on at the RVI. It helped us to show where the money goes and how important it is to their work."
Friend Gillian Todd paid tribute. She said: "Steve’s mission has always been about more than fundraising. His annual charity walk is designed to raise awareness and encourage men to regularly check themselves, helping with early detection and prevention of this disease.
"Each year, around September, Steve carefully plans a walk of approximately 26 miles, with pit stops at football stadiums along the route. These clubs generously open their doors to provide much needed refreshments and support along the journey.
"Using social media, Steve encourages people to donate and take part. What started as a small group of walkers has grown year on year into a large, supportive community." She added: "Steve’s commitment, consistency, and passion over nearly a decade has been remarkable."
This year's route
This year's walk started at St James' Park in Newcastle at 7.15am on September 26 - and it took in Morpeth FC and Ashington FC's home grounds. The team have raised more than £3,500 so far.
