I started 2024 by setting myself a challenge to raise money and awareness of a cause extremely close to my heart after a school friend of mine, Justin Butlin, was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in September 2022. Unfortunately, Justin lost his battle on 27th February 2024 and at just 53 it’s a devastating for his family and all those close to him.

The stark reality is that ‘1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer. If you are black it’s 1 in 4, and if your dad or brother had it, you’re at greater risk too. Prostate cancer is not always life-threatening, but the earlier you catch it, the more likely you are to be cured.

So, starting on Sunday 7th April, a group of close colleagues and friends will join me to cycle 600 miles from Exeter to Cheshire. The route will pass through every Inspired Village and many other sites along the way, cheered on by residents, colleagues and the wider community!

A key objective of undertaking the bike ride initially was to try and raise funds for Justin’s life-extending treatment. Now we are riding in his memory, we are more passionate than ever about supporting Justin’s legacy by raising awareness of this all too common and cruel disease that is robbing families of fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons the world over.

Since announcing this on my Linked In page, I’ve been blown away by comments and messages that have demonstrated just how many Inspired residents and colleagues have been impacted by prostate cancer. Because of this, we thought why not open the challenge up and be stronger together with an Inspired-wide challenge to deliver 7,500 miles of inspiration!

With the wellbeing and the health of our residents and colleagues front and centre, plus the route passing through every Inspired Village, the 7,500-mile challenge is a chance to get us all moving, and hopefully have a bit of fun in the process! It doesn’t need to be cycling, people can do their miles by walking, running or even horse-riding - however people want to get involved.

As part of this challenge, we are also aiming to get as many people as possible a PSA test (a blood test to help detect prostate cancer) so I will be asking colleagues, residents and anyone we can reach, to get a test through us as part of this challenge – it might just save a life.

Stay tuned to our social channels on Facebook, Linked In or Instagram to see how we’re working towards our target plus how we’re preparing for the ride. You can also donate to our fund here. 

Thank you for reading. * https://prostatecanceruk.org/