Welcome to Yorkshire and Yorkshire Cancer Research launched the Tour de Walkshire on 1st May with a month-long £50,000 fundraising target… which thanks to the efforts of many great Yorkshire folk has been smashed in just FIVE DAYS!

With still three weeks to go, the event’s aim is to now achieve £75,000. in vital fund donations, as well as raising awareness, for this incredibly important charity and its life-changing cancer research.

The Tour de Walkshire has been an immense success, with many already signed up and thousands donating. It’s even gone global with multi-award-winning actor and proud Yorkshireman, Sir Patrick Stewart, tweeting from LA to his 3.6m followers “This fundraiser will make my beloved Yorkshire even lovelier.”

Further fantastic fundraisers have signed up from across the world, including California and Iowa in the US, as well as Austria, Germany and London, all with a love of our great county.

There’s still time to get involved in the Tour de Walkshire, wherever you are, to walk, cycle, run or push at whatever individual distance chosen, throughout May. It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy meeting up with friends, family and colleagues outdoors, whilst raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

https://join.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/event/tour-de-walkshire-2021/home

Over £50,000 already raised will have a huge impact on so many people, but £75,000. would be incredible:

£75,000. could fund 150 lung health checks, helping to save lives by finding cancer at the earliest possible stage
£75,000. could provide personalised cancer exercise programmes for 225 people, helping to improve treatment and reduce the risk of cancer returning
£75,000. could connect as many as 4,500 extra people with essential screening services, which help prevent cancer by identifying cells which will become cancerous if not treated, and finding cancers early when they are far easier to treat.

A host of celebrity participants will be taking part in the #TourdeWalkshire and their involvement will be shared throughout this month. All who register to be part of this fantastic charity event will receive a FREE Tour de Walkshire t-shirt AND if you hit the £250 personal fundraising target, a Yorkshire Cancer Research bottle and a Welcome to Yorkshire Y badge will be sent to each individual as a special thank you.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is the official charity partner of Welcome to Yorkshire’s #Walkshire initiative, which has captured the imagination of so many people across the county, the nation and the world, since its launch on New Year’s Day. A walk for every day of the year and more, #Walkshire is the most inclusive of campaigns and can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities, with wonderful well-being and health benefits. Walkshire’s popularity is immense with walkshire.com already seeing over 100,000 page views and the first week’s launch figures revealed a 1.5 million online reach and 3.7 million total impressions.

Statistics show that 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer and the impact on individuals, as well as their loved ones is immense. Every week in Yorkshire, 592 people are told that they have the disease. Yorkshire Cancer Research’s goal is that by 2025, at least 2,000 more people across the county survive cancer every year. Raising awareness, continued research and vital fundraising are all of the utmost importance to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Juliet Glendinning, Director of Brand and Relationships at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “It’s been amazing to see so many people, from all walks of life and all parts of the county, getting active, clocking up the miles and enjoying the beautiful scenery we have here in Yorkshire. We are immensely grateful to each and every person who has dedicated time and effort to raising funds to help save lives in Yorkshire – sometimes battling heavy rain and hail to reach their goal and inspire more sponsorship.
“We’re thrilled that this incredible Tour de Walkshire community has managed to reach and exceed the charity’s initial £50,000 fundraising target in such a short space of time. The money raised will help fund experts and world-leading researchers who pioneer early cancer diagnosis, reduce cancer risk and discover new and better treatments for cancer patients.”

Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive James Mason said: “It’s fantastic that in just five days the Tour de Walkshire’s month-long fundraising target of £50,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Research has already been smashed and it’s all thanks to so many fabulous folk connected to Yorkshire. The next ‘step’ is to reach £75,000 and to have an even bigger impact on treating those diagnosed with cancer. Come on Yorkshire … and beyond … we can do it!
As this month’s annual Tour de Yorkshire cycling race had to be postponed until 2022 due to the pandemic, we wanted to create an inclusive and exciting event to bring people together (following government guidelines of course) in the great outdoors, to encourage fitness and well-being, fundraise and also raise essential awareness for an amazing charity, plus showcase our breathtaking county. The Tour de Walkshire is the perfect way to do this and will be fun for all this month, raising vital funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research, the outstanding official charity partner of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Cancer is not exclusive. Almost everyone in the county will know someone affected by cancer. As such this is a cause we should all get behind. Yorkshire Cancer Research undertake vital research to support those impacted by this disease whilst investing in groundbreaking medical advancements. We’ve already seen Welcome to Yorkshire’s strong brand and global support helping raise a significant amount of awareness and money for this important charity. Please be part of the Tour de Walkshire. It’s not too late”

Welcome to Yorkshire and Yorkshire Cancer Research are particularly proud of this Tour de Walkshire initiative, promoting the county, as well as fitness and well-being, and benefitting a crucial cause simultaneously.

For further information: https://www.yorkshire.com/walkshire/tour-de-walkshire