Fundraiser receives award from Prime Minister

James' wife Philippa, passed away just 36 hours after being diagnosed with leukaemia, at the age of 42 in 2022.

Since then, James has dedicated himself to making a difference to those affected by blood cancer, through raising awareness and fundraising for Blood Cancer UK.

Wanting to do something significant for the first anniversary of Philippa’s death, and inspired by Lord Botham and his awareness raising for childhood leukaemia in the 1980s, last year James set himself the fundraising challenge of cycling over 1,000 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats in 8 days, raising over £200,000.

This May, he cycled the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest through his ‘Ride to the Stars’ challenge, cycling up the Lackon Bank in Birstwith, and beyond, a total of 90 times, passing the school that Philippa was involved in, and the church where she is buried.

James is aiming to raise enough money to support the funding of a three-year acute myeloid leukaemia research project at Cardiff University.

Helen continued by saying:
“James’s fundraising has been nothing short of inspirational, not only for the blood cancer community but for anyone who’s come across his story. After the sudden death of his wife Phillipa, from acute myeloid leukaemia in 2022, James has dedicated himself to raising the profile and funding research into this aggressive form of blood cancer.

“James’ fundraising is supporting the development of more treatment options for acute myeloid leukaemia, improving survival rates. James is giving hope to so many affected by blood cancer, the UK’s fifth most common cancer. On behalf of everyone in the Blood Cancer UK community, we send James our congratulations for the aware and this hugely well deserved recognition form the Prime Minister.”