Lisa’s cancer cause is up and running

Lisa Hewer was just 16 when her much-loved dad Frank died of bowel cancer.He served Leighton’s Brooklands Ward as a county councillor between 1985 and 1989.

Now 35, Lisa, from Saxons Close, Leighton Buzzard, is planning to put her love of running to the test by completing at least four marathons in 2015, including the London, Milton Keynes and Edinburgh events.

But first, a free lunchtime seminar about bowel disease and research takes place at the Open University in Milton Keynes on Wednesday, March 25.

Deborah Gilbert, chief executive of the charity Bowel & Cancer Research, is the guest speaker of the Faculty of Health & Social Care at 1pm. She will give a knowledgeable insight into awareness about bowel conditions and the groundbreaking research which the charity is funding.

Cakes will be on sale, along with free tea and coffee, courtesy of Lisa, the OU’s research and enterprise manager.

She is determined to raise £2,500 for Bowel & Cancer Research this year.

She said: “I’d dreamed of taking on a fundraising challenge in memory of my dad and hadn’t done it. So now is the time before I’m too old or too injured.

“If we can help them to help find better treatments and a cure for this disease, my hours of training, miles in the bank and blood, sweat and blisters will be very worthwhile.”

Deborah has thanked Lisa for her support, saying: “Bowel cancer affects more than 41,000 people in the UK per year and claims the lives of 16,000. Unfortunately it’s a low-profile topic and there’s a huge mismatch between the prevalence of bowel problems and the funding received to help tackle them.

“We’re very grateful for the opportunity to address people in Milton Keynes. The more we can put bowel disease on the agenda of public discussion, the more lives we will be able to save.”

Anyone who wants to add to Lisa’s fundraising total can do so at www.justgiving.com/girljustruns or text LGJR96 to 70070 followed by donation amount.

For more info about the event see www.open.ac.uk