Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt were among more than 100 people to walk from St Thomas’ Hospital to Guy’s Hospital on foot to raise money for a cancer charity.
This is the fourth year the broadcaster has led the 50km walk, which raises money for Dimbleby Cancer Care – the charity set up in his father Richard Dimbleby’s name.
The fundraiser was also an opportunity for the charity to raise awareness of its recently-launched website www.cancercaremap.org which is a free, online directory of cancer support services which helps people across the UK locate care and support services near to them.
Names from the world of politics including Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, and Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb were at the event on Friday, June 15.
For the first time this year there was also a 25km mid-distance and 12km family distance in addition to the 50km route.
Mr Hunt, who took part in the 25km distance, said: “I lost my father to cancer in 2013, a year into my tenure as Health Secretary.
“Since then, I’ve been struck time and again by the fact that patients and families affected by cancer need much more than just medical care and treatment: they need practical and emotional care and support along the way, and Dimbleby Cancer Care is doing amazing work offering just that to people across the country.
“Their new Cancer Care map is a great example of this: a directory of services in each local area for families facing cancer, from NHS services to mental health support to practical assistance.”
Chair of Dimbleby Cancer Care Jonathan Dimbleby added: “Thank you to everyone for your support; we could not do it without you.”
Starting at St Thomas’ Hospital, the walkers headed west to Putney, on to Hammersmith Bridge before heading out to Canary wharf and down to Greenwich via the Greenwich foot tunnel, and finally heading back to the charity’s home at Guy’s Cancer Centre.
The event has raised £245,000 for Dimbleby Cancer Care since it began in 2015.
The charity was set up in 1966 in memory of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby and is based at Guy’s Cancer Centre in Southwark.
It provides practical and psychological support to people living with cancer and to their families and carers.
Additionally, the charity has funded over £2.7million in research grants since 2004 looking at all aspects of cancer care and support.