Charity canal walk looking for participants of all ages

A picturesque canal walk set to raise funds for a Kidderminster man’s year of fundraising is looking for people of all ages to take part.

Kris Griffin is taking on a year of fundraising in celebration of reaching his 10-year anniversary since being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). All proceeds raised will be donated to Leukaemia Care, a national charity based in Worcester who support anyone affected by a blood cancer diagnosis.

The canal walk has been organised by Kris’ wife, Kelly Griffin, and will start and end at the Anchor Inn Pub on the Diglis Docks, with walkers following the 10-mile scenic route towards Droitwich and back again.

Kris said, “What can be better than a brisk 10-mile walk around the waterways of Worcestershire on a Sunday afternoon? The money we are raising is going to save lives and I’m sure we’ll have a blast doing it.

“The support that we’ve received so far has been really encouraging but we need more walkers, so dust off those walking shoes and join us.”

So far, Kris has raised over £4,000 of his £10,000 target, and with the walk coinciding with September’s Blood Cancer Awareness Month, he hopes to get ever closer to his goal whilst raising awareness of leukaemia. For the past two years, the charity has marked Blood Cancer Awareness Month with a month long #SpotLeukaemia campaign to highlight the signs and symptoms of leukaemia.

The walk will take place on Sunday 23rd September at 11am. Anyone wishing to take part in the walk can request a sponsorship form from Leukaemia Care by calling 01905 755 977 or emailing fundraising@leukaemiacare.org.uk.

If you’d like to make a donation to Kris’ fundraising, head to his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kris10.

Leukaemia CARE – Spot Leukaemia

This September for Blood Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), Leukaemia CARE are working to improve public understanding of leukaemia and raise awareness of the most common symptoms patients experience before they are diagnosed.

In the UK, 38% of leukaemia patients are diagnosed via emergency presentation, compared to a cancer average of 22%. The key focus is driving earlier diagnosis of leukaemia, to improve patient experience and save lives.

Leukaemia Care has developed a campaign called Spot Leukaemia which encourages people to learn about leukaemia and the common symptoms. Leukaemia can be hard to spot because the signs and symptoms are common to other unrelated illnesses. Knowing what to look out for could help you make the decision to visit your GP sooner.

Leukaemia Care has also been contacting GPs to inform them of the campaign, so that they are aware of Spot Leukaemia and the messaging, in case patients ask them about symptoms they are experiencing.

The campaign is designed with one thing in mind: Awareness.

To this end, can you help Leukaemia Care raise awareness for this campaign by reading and sharing the information on this page and signing up for the Thunderclap?

www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/spot-leukaemia

Thanks.