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.

Kidderminster Event: The Lady and the Sax

A night of music is coming to the Kidderminster Cricket Club as talented local duo The Lady and the Sax support a Kidderminster man’s fundraising.

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 supports anyone affected by a blood cancer diagnosis.

Kris said, “As well as being a huge cricket supporter, my son Luca plays at the club, so I’m delighted that Kidderminster Cricket Club is supporting my campaign to raise £10,000 for Leukaemia Care.

“The support I’ve received from people across Wyre Forest has been incredible and I know that this will be a great night of music that everyone will enjoy.

“There’s a long way to go to reach that magic £10k mark but we’ve started strong; every penny will make a difference and save lives. It really is that important.”

So far, Kris has raised over £1,600 of his £10,000 target and hopes a night of music from The Lady and the Sax will help him on his way to his ambitious target. The funds raised from tickets sales will be split 50/50 between Leukaemia Care and Kidderminster Cricket Club Juniors.

The event will take place on Friday 29th June and starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are £8 and can be purchased at the club or by calling 07841 502535.

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

Press Release: Kris Griffin speaking at CML Horizons conference in Prague 2013

A leukaemia survivor from Kidderminster has spent 3 days at a conference in Czech Republic speaking to delegates from 60 countries about his experiences.

Kris Griffin was invited to the Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) Horizons conference in Prague where he spoke to an audience of 150 patient advocates, nurses and physicians about using social media and being a ‘connected’ patient.

CML Horizons is a community-run and multi-sponsored conference, which has evolved from the “New Horizons” conferences 2002-2011. It is run by the CML Advocates Network and hosted by the newly established, non-profit, Swiss-based, patient-driven “Leukaemia Patient Advocates Foundation” in Switzerland. The conference demonstrates the great power of the global community: inspiring best practice presentations, materials, marketplace sessions, interactive forums and updates by CML experts from all over the world.

Kris, who is treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, also works as an advocate and parliamentary lobbyist fighting for other cancer victims to have access to the drugs they need.

He said, “This conference provides patients with much-needed scientific knowledge and advocacy skills and over the years has developed a great collaborative spirit across borders and regions, it is a unique global family and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Kris has been battling chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) for over five years and is winning the fight having been declared in remission from the disease. In recent weeks the 38-year-old father of one has also spoken at the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research annual conference and counts Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier and Deputy Chair of the Labour Party Tom Watson MP amongst his supporters.

“In the UK there are only 650 of us every year diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia so it is a rarer form of cancer. It’s hard to get our voice heard but this disease is a cancer that is being treated more and more successfully with tablets. The potential impact of this on other forms of cancers is great so it’s important we network, fundraise and support the life-saving progress and innovation that is being made every day.”

Mr Griffin, who is also director of marketing and communications at Ormiston Forge Academy in Cradley Heath also has a blog where people can stay up-to-date with his campaign efforts: www.accesscmldrugs.wordpress.com

Kris Griffin speaking at CML Horizons 2013