Next Fundraising Target Is £4000

This month has seen the fundraising go past £3500, so the next milestone I am aiming towards is £4000. The support over the last two and a half years has been incredible, and even though the new book is a year or so away from being completed, I think that there is still plenty of scope for raising funds, most of which is done through sales on my own website www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk. The question is how can I go about raising the next £500? Here's how it could be achieved..

200 sales of the paperback edition of Lives & Times or 100 sales of the hardback.

4 copies of the limited edition silk screen print created and donated by Adam Green. I have one of these hanging on my wall, and it's superb.

200 Stop Bowel Cancer t-shirts - the latest edition to the online store, which are already selling well in a variety of colours, and only cost £8.

15 deluxe or 20 standard portrait photography sessions.

So onwards we go, and it might take a while, but with everyone's continued support I am sure we will get there. Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK with 16,000 people losing their lives to it each year. However, if diagnosed at an early stage, it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. Raising awareness about bowel cancer is key, as is increasing early detection rates. All proceeds raised from my fundraising are donated to Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. I have been fundraising for over 5 years now since my Mum had her first operation in 2012. Sadly she lost her battle with bowel cancer in 2016, but the fundraising continues in her memory.

A Tribute to Norma de Bidaph

As 2017 drew to a close I heard the very sad news that Norma de Bidaph lost her battle with bowel cancer. I'd come into contact with Norma after she bought my first fundraising book, Beating Bowel Cancer. She was always extremely supportive to me during Mum's illness, and I was delighted when she agreed to be part of the Lives & Times charity book. I spent a wonderful day at the Thruxton Circuit in 2014 with Norma, and the Gearlink Kawasaki motorbike team, which she ran with her husband Michael. 

Like many, who battled with cancer, Norma didn't consider herself brave, but just having to face the illness head on. I found her truly inspirational, and the affection she was held in by everyone associated with the sport was shown time and time again during the day. She was absolutely lovely, and looked after me very well in spite of being on the go non-stop all day. We remained in touch, and Norma had always given me an open invitation to the racing. Sadly, in recent times with losing Mum to bowel cancer, and then the losing the dog to lymphoma, I hadn't managed to go back. We'd been in touch just a few months ago, and I was hoping to see Norma during the forthcoming season. My thoughts are with her family and friends.

The Alarm - The Band & The Fans Support Bowel Cancer Fundraising Book

When I started putting together the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book, one of my wishes was to meet and photograph all four original members of The Alarm. However, little did I realise that would be just the beginning, and what followed would have a huge impact on me.

I struck gold early on when I photographed Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist in London. Eddie has been a tremendous supporter, and he got Nigel on board, when Nige was in the UK on a rare trip over from the US, where he now lives. Jules Peters was instrumental in sorting out a photograph with Mike Peters. This took place at Abbey Road studios when I was truly honoured to be part of The Scriptures - the world's longest song. Finally just when I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen, I met and photographed Dave Sharp in Winchester. I got to see him soundcheck before his gig, and that was observing a real master craftsman.

As well as the original band, along the way the current line-up also got snapped at Abbey Road. In fact Steve 'Smiley' Barnard popped up twice in the book, as he also featured in the chapter on From The Jam. The good news is that 'Smiley' amd James from the current line-up will feature in the next book, The Record, which is well under way. This will also feature Jules Peters, now also a regular in the current group. She has been fighting breast cancer, and her story is a huge inspiration for many. Oh, and Gaz Top will also feature, so the new book will have plenty of Alarm in it too.

Alarm fans with the book

I've followed The Alarm since 1983. Until I started my fundraising I had followed the band with a few close friends, and had kept myself pretty much to myself. In fact during my first 33 years I barely met more than a handful of fellow fans. Lives & Times changed all that. The friendship, and amazing support for the book, from fans has been utterly amazing. I have lost count of the amount of books they have bought so far, and some of these have lost people to bowel cancer too. When I went to a bowel cancer patient event in London in 2016, I was joined by fellow fan Tina Atkins to help me sell the book there. We'd never met, but she very kindly agreed to come and help. That has been the start of a great friendship. The friendships have kept on coming thick and fast ever since. I can't believe why it took me so long to come out of my shell. At The Gathering in 2017 I seemed to spend as much time selling books as anything else - it was quite astonishing. I can now go the gigs, and know plenty of people, which makes each gig so much better and fulfilling. I am looking forward to meeting up with many friends in a couple of weeks time at The Gathering 2018.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK taking 16,000 lives each year. If detected early it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. The key thing is to increase awareness, and improve early detection rates. All the funds that I raise are donated to Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. These two charities joined together on January 1st to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity.

I have already had some terrific support from fans for my 'Stop Bowel Cancer' t-shirts, which has just gone on sale. Just the best set of people 😊

A Picture of Mum with the Lives & Times Bowel Cancer Fundraising Book

A cruel twist of fate meant that Mum had her first brain seizure on the same day that I published the Lives & Times book in November 2015. The bowel cancer which had continuously affected her left lung over four years, spread to her brain, and so began the final stages of her illness over the next nine months until she sadly passed away in August 2016. I was so glad that Mum got to see, and enjoy, the finished book - without doubt the book is one of my proudest achievements. I always asked people to send me a photo of themselves with the book, but Mum was a bit reluctant. One of the side effects from the brain seizures was a slight drop to one side in her face, which understandably meant she didn't really enjoy having photos taken. However, with some creative help from my niece Anna, we took this photo from behind with the two of them reading the chapter in the book about Mum. It is the only photo I have of Mum with the book.

The book has now raised over £3450, and hopefully with the "Stop Bowel Cancer" t-shirts I have just started selling, the fundraising will soon pass £3500. The new fundraising book I am putting together is over halfway completed now, so I am hoping to have that finished within the next 12 months or so. Please continue to support my fundraising, and a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me so far, with an extra special thanks for those extra lovely people who have already ordered a t-shirt. All proceeds raised are donated to Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK, who have joined together to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity.

Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK, claiming 16,000 lives each year. However, if caught early, it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. So increasing awareness about this awful disease is key, hence the t-shirt idea. It is also vital to improve early detection rates, as that is what will really help help to save lives.

STOP BOWEL CANCER T-Shirts

I have just launched these 'STOP BOWEL CANCER' T-Shirts. The idea, being very simple, to help increase awareness about bowel cancer, and to raise some funds for Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. These two charities have merged to become the UK's leading bowel cancer charity, and my fundraising will be donated to the new organisation.

I am selling the t-shirts for just £8 + P&P from my bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk website. I think they look terrific, and I managed to get a photo taken with Olympic 400m gold medal winner Christine Ohuruogu. The £3 raised from each t-shirt will be donated to the charity. A massive thanks to Jocelyn at DMI Embroidery for supporting this venture, and enabling me sell the t-shirts at this great low price. The t-shirts are available in four colours and in a full range of sizes in both men's and ladies, and I have already been sent some photos from some happy customers.

Please get behind this idea, and together we can help make a difference. Bowel cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the UK taking 16,000 lives each year. However, if detected early, it can be successfully treated in over 90% of cases. Much more needs to be done to increase awareness about this awful disease, and to improve early detection rates. My mum passed away in 2016 after a long battle with bowel cancer, and all my fundraising is being done in her memory.