Jennifer Sheldon to raise £100,000

Jennifer is the widow of Richard Sheldon, former High Sheriff of Somerset , who died of prostate cancer in July last year.

Jennifer has set herself the target of raising £100,000 for Prostate Research Campaign UK before the end of this year.  She said: "In the early 1990s just £47,000 of Government money was spent on prostate cancer research.  Now it stands at £4 million but it remains peanuts compared to funding research into other cancers."

"A screening programme and research would make all the difference. I want to make people aware and stop them feeling embarrassed about it. Men are not very good at talking about their own health problems and the trouble with prostate cancer is that, often, it presents itself when it is too late. Women have regular smear tests and breast checks after they reach a certain age and it should be the same for men. Wives or partners may have to push men to go for tests and they may grumble about it but it is certainly worth it. The figures are pretty frightening"

Many of the events Jennifer has arranged are listed in our 2003 Diary. Please do your best to support them and help Jennifer to reach her target.