I joined the Fundraising Board of Maggie's Yorkshire in June 2014.  The Board is committed to raising the funding to deliver a £5m project to build a unique Cancer Care Centre for the people of Yorkshire.  Working in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the new Maggie's Yorkshire Centre will be built adjacent to the St James's Institute of Oncology at the Bexley Wing, Leeds St James's Hospital.

More than 12,500 people a year are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire with the average diagnosis delivered in just 7 minutes. Maggie's Yorkshire will be a warm and welcoming place, with qualified professionals on hand to offer an evidence-based core programme of support that has been shown to significantly improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of cancer patients and their families. It is expected to receive more than 29,000 visits in the first year. To find out more about Maggie's Centres please visit www.maggiescentres.org

On the 27th June I will begin my challenge to walk the 110 miles of the Cleveland Way in 7 days.  Whilst the Maggie's Yorkshire campaign has already raised £2.8m, there is still a further £2.2m to go. I would really appreciate your help and support in making the Maggie's Cancer Care Centre in Yorkshire a reality.

The Cleveland Way National Trail is a walking route through beautiful and ever changing landscapes and scenery.  Much of the walk lies within the North York Moors National Park and can be challenging in places, especially the coastal section with dramatic cliff tops, which adds to the overall experience.  The 7 days will not only total 110 miles, but also include 5,561m of ascent and 5,554m of descent across a varying range of terrain. There are a number of iconic landmarks along the way including Rievaulx Abbey, the White Horse at Kilburn and Roseberry Topping.

I will be joined by a number of senior figures from the local business community for sections of the walk, including one of Yorkshire's most prominent entrepreneurs Andrew Cope, chief executive of Halifax-based SSP Laurence Walker, founding partners of leading private equity firm Endless, Garry Wilson and Darren Forshaw, locally-based private equity chairman Ken Beaty, the business editor of the Yorkshire Post Bernard Ginns and well known legal figure and Chairman of the Maggie's Yorkshire Board Neil McLean.  Colleagues from Deloitte will also accompany me.

There are a number of ways you can support me.  You could join a stage of the walk (please contact Jacquie Walker at jacqwalker@deloitte.co.uk for further details) or you could sponsor me and share the link with your colleagues, contacts and friends.

Thank you for reading my page and for your support. It will make a huge difference to the Maggie's Yorkshire Campaign and transform the cancer journey for many patients and their families.

Martin

Maggie's relies on voluntary donations to support and grow its network of Centres and to develop its unique, high quality programme of support.  The charity's aim is to make the biggest difference possible to people living with cancer and their family and friends.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.  Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails.  Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity.  So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.