600km bike ride in memory of CWU man Garry Barker

June 29 2016

Craig Barker is preparing for a gruelling 600km fund-raising bike ride in memory of his late father Garry Barker, who was an assistant secretary of North Anglia Branch, and who died last year after a short battle with aggressive bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), the second most common primary Liver cancer worldwide.

The money raised will go towards AMMF, the only UK charity dedicated to tackling this devastating cancer on all fronts, and to helping to provide information and support.

Craig will be cycling alongside his older brother Thomas and two of their family’s close friends, Liam Grant and Michael Wilson.

With just under a month to go, training is well underway and Craig said: “I aim to cycle three times a week, and on Sundays, I try to increase how many miles I do.”

Craig and his team have chosen a personal route, which will begin at a football ground in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk – Garry was on the board of directors of the local side Bury Town FC – from there the group will head for the coast and take the ferry across to Holland and take their first main stop in the town of Leuven in Belgium.

“Leuven is the home of Stella Artois,” explains Craig, adding: “Those that knew my dad will know it was his beer of choice and we intend to go on a brewery tour there to raise a glass to my dad.

“And from Leuven, we will then cycle to Amsterdam, which was the last place we all went on holiday as a family.”

Collectively, they aim to raise as much as possible for the charity, Craig continued, pointing out that “the money will go towards research and training courses to prevent misdiagnosing the disease as well as catching the disease early.”

According to the AMMF charity’s website, the disease has grown in recent years and caused 2,161 deaths in 2013 in England alone.

Craig added: “I would greatly appreciate any donations, no matter how big or small, to help me feel the love whilst I put my body though this gruelling test.

“You can donate via our justgiving page and you can also follow our journey via Facebook and our blog.”