62-mile bike ride connecting London’s football stadiums to raise money for cancer charity
By Charlie Parry
Hugh Porter shares his name with a British four-time world champion cyclist of the 1960s and 1970s, whose nickname was The Locomotive.
The 50-year-old from East Dulwich admits that his name is where the similarity ends.
His nickname, Shug – the traditional Scottish nickname for people called Hugh – might be more in keeping with his travelling speed.
But that has not stopped him organising a group of cyclists to respond to a cancer charity’s emergency fundraising appeal by organising a sponsored bike ride around London’s football stadiums.
The “Round the Grounds” cyclists will visit 12 stadiums over a 62-mile bike ride on Saturday, starting at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground, raising money for Lymphoma Action as they go.
Mr Porter – the East Dulwich one – was diagnosed with Central Nervous System Lymphoma in 2019.
He said: “I had a 5cm tumour in my brain, which the amazing team at King’s College Hospital successfully removed.
“It took months of hospitalisation and chemotherapy treatment, to allow me to have a successful Stem Cell Transplant and get this cancer into remission.
“An organisation that has helped me greatly throughout – and continues to – is Lymphoma Action, the UK’s only charity dedicated to lymphoma.”
The charity launched an emergency appeal after a three-fold increase in hotline calls during the coronavirus lockdown, and the cancellation of numerous fundraising events.
Someone is diagnosed with this type of blood cancer every 27 minutes in the UK, and Lymphoma Action provides them support and guidance, and works to raise the public’s awareness.
So far 29 riders have signed up to the event to support the charity, raising more than £10,000.
You can support them by clicking here or by contacting the Lymphoma Action fundraising team on 01296 619419.
Pictured top: Hugh Porter, left, with fellow fundraiser Fraser MacDonald
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