MBE leads the £1m Love Train challenge

Published 22 Jan 2012 13:30

AN AMBITIOUS £1m fundraising drive for the fight against prostate cancer will be launched in Windsor next week.

Mayor of the Royal Borough, Cllr Asghar Majeed, will join retired businessman Alan Carr at the Windsor Guildhall to kick off the Love Train Appeal, including a 1,000 mile walk and Diamond Jubilee charity ball in aid of research charity the Prostate Project.

Mr Carr, who was made an MBE in 2010 for his extensive charity work, will be joined by 66-year-old Nigel Lewis-Baker, who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, for a gruelling trek from John O'Groats to Land's End for the first in a series of fundraisers.

Other activities planned include a glittering Diamond Jubilee charity ball at Ascot Racecourse and a 2013 Valentine's dinner aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Mr Carr, who has recently joined the charity and heads up its newly-formed Berkshire branch, said: "I have jumped into iced waters in Norway, climbed up to the Torres del Paine in Patagonia and worked in the Brazilian heat to help the poor - all in the name of Cancer Research, but this project is the big one; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a significant difference.

"The £1,000,000 Prostate Project Love Train Walk to save 10,000 lives - the number of lives lost every year to prostate cancer - is a personal challenge to realise my aspirations."

He added: "The Prostate Project has achieved great things in 12 years and is still entirely volunteer-led, with less than 2% spent on administration. It really appeals to me that 98-pence in every pound that I raise will go directly to the point of need."

The money from the walk will go towards the charity's plans to build a world-class urology centre.

The appeal will be officially launched at an event hosted by Cllr Majeed, on Saturday, January 28. The walk will take place from March 21 to May 17.

For information on the Prostate Project, see www.prostate-project.org.uk and for more on the appeal, see www.lovetrain.org.uk

Tweet

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @windsorobserver