People & Lifestyle story, October 2005
| A PILGRIM’S
PROGRESS
Accountant gets cash flowing for Prostate Research Campaign UK As appeared in the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser By: Andrea Kon |
Dorking accountant Malcolm Ridley has proved that real life pilgrims do still exist. The 63-year-old father-of-three, who lives in Holmwood, followed the 140 mile route from St. Swithin’s in Winchester to Canterbury in Kent, following the route of mediaeval pilgrims and raised an amazing £25,000 for Prostate Research Campaign UK, the only charity in the country to raise money for research into all prostate disease.
As reported last February, Mr. Ridley, a keen walker, decided to do his bit after suffering from prostate cancer. He had suffered none of the symptoms generally associated with prostate disease, such as needing to get up to visit the bathroom during the night or having difficulty passing water. His cancer was only discovered after his eagle-eyed GP took a routine blood test to count the number of prostate specific antigen cells in his blood (PSA) and realised that the score was outside the normal range.
“He referred me to a urologist, I had a scan then a biopsy and was then referred to Prof. Roger Kirby, one of the world’s experts on prostate disease. He removed the prostate,” he explains. “Then he told me how Prostate Research Campaign UK had set a target for supporters to walk One Million Prostate Miles in aid of the charity, so I decided to try to add 140 miles to the target.
“The walk was great fun. I walked much of the way accompanied by one of my three daughters who took it in turns, along with my brother.
“I walked most of the way along the North Downs Way and hardly met anyone along the route. One day we left late as a result of a misunderstanding and didn’t arrive at our B & B until 8.45pm. By the time I arrived, my landlady had gone out - but thankfully she’d left the key so I just collapsed into a bath and went to bed. The truth is that all I could think about after 4pm every afternoon was a long hot soak.
Mr. Ridley says he is extremely grateful to his generous sponsors. “I am thrilled at having raised so much for Prostate Research Campaign UK,” he says. “I didn’t expect to raise anything like that. People were unbelievably generous. If I thought I could raise more, I’d do it all over again.”
If you would like further information on prostate disease, or on supporting the target of Million Prostate Miles, contact Prostate Research Campaign UK, 10 Northfields Prospect, Putney Bridge Road, London SW18 1PE or visit the website at www.prostate-research.org.uk