Thanks for taking the time to visit my link - sadly it's not a unique story as it's a heartache that blights nearly all families the world over and for many it becomes an inevitable life-defining series of events.

For five years my family have been living under a cloud as my beloved Dad was diagnosed with cancer. Following surgery and therapy we'd initially been given the heart-warming news that he was cancer-free, only to have this taken away from us a year later when he developed secondary bowel cancer.

Having faced a challenging few years we find ourselves at a stage in which we simply don't know what the year ahead holds for our family.

It's for this reason that I've decided to play a small part in giving back to those who've been there to support my Dad through his journey. Throughout, he's received his treatment under the care of Darent Valley Hospital.

The support, empathy, and encouragement that has been shown to my Dad over the past few years has been overwhelming. The staff at Darent Valley have gone above and beyond in the care they've given. Really, it is world-class service.

From his consultants who've shown dedication beyond belief to his personal case, to the staff on the chemo ward, every single one of them is never short of a smile or their time. For that alone, we as a family are eternally grateful.

This is my way of giving something back; though I know no amount of money can ever really say thank you enough. But, to the team at Darent Valley, for all that you do, and for all that you continue to do - thankyou. Thank you to all the stars, for looking after our Dad.

I'll be embarking upon a series of challenges over the course of the year to raise funds for the Darent Valley team. Your donations will go directly to supporting the staff in the hospital, from providing mental health support to refurbishing their staff facilities to provide them with a quality environment in which to work.

Each of the challenges I've selected are exactly that for me - challenging! As individual events they might seem attainable but in a series they're designed to push me mentally or physically. So, I'll be undertaking various things, starting with 31 5km runs on each of the 31 days in January. For those of you that know how much I loathe running - you'll know this one will be tough! Some of my other challenges will include the Deva triathlon, cycling the Wirral peninsula and hiking Hadrians Wall. You can follow along on social media or on Strava if you search my name. 

I know money can be tight, even if you can't spare a fiver one month, maybe join me virtually and let me know you're there in spirit! Hopefully Covid will allow me to do what I have planned - however some challenges may have to change at late notice due to the current situation. 

Thank you!