Dave Blackmore, from Anglesey, is cycling over 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds for Young Lives vs Cancer, the leading UK charity for children and young people with cancer and their families, and Teenage Cancer Trust.
Dave and his family were supported by the charities when his son, Shôn, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in June 2025. Shôn was studying law at University of Liverpool at the time before falling ill. Since then, he has had multiple surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy.
Now, dad Dave and his friends Marc and Martin are cycling the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats to give back to the charities who supported Shôn and his family during treatment.
Shôn said: “It’s amazing to see what my dad is doing. Throughout my whole treatment, he would sit by my bed while I was unwell, making sure I was okay, while also planning out his whole route, checking the map and looking at local hotels. I never thought he would be crazy enough to do it, but after seeing how much support we received from Young Lives vs Cancer and Teenage Cancer Trust, there was no talking him out of it. I’m so proud of him.”
Support for families
From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer’s specialist social workers provide day-to-day support for each child, young person and family. The charity provides accommodation close to hospitals where families can stay together during treatment for free, and grants to help families navigate the costs of cancer. Young Lives vs Cancer relies on charitable donations to fund their vital work supporting children and young people facing cancer and their families across the UK.
Last year in Wales, Young Lives vs Cancer helped 168 young people with cancer and families get the support they needed. On average, families of a child with cancer have to pay out £700 extra a month on extra costs such as travel to and from hospital, food and clothing. To help families cope with the costs of cancer, the charity gave 106 financial grants to help young people and families in Wales.
Charity appeals for support
Tania Ansell, Young Lives vs Cancer fundraising engagement manager for Wales, said: “When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical and it’s felt by the entire family. From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer’s specialist social workers provide day-to-day support for each child, young person and family.
“We'd love to see as many people as possible get behind Dave, Marc and Martin’s efforts. Their support means Young Lives vs Cancer will be able to help even more young people with cancer, like Shôn, get the right support when they need it most.”
Lucie Fowler, head of regional fundraising at Teenage Cancer Trust, added: “We’re incredibly honoured that Shôn’s dad and his friends are fundraising in aid of us after the support that Shôn received during such a difficult time. No young person should ever have to face the trauma of cancer alone and thanks to fundraisers like this, Teenage Cancer Trust can continue to provide specialised nursing care and expert youth support during and after treatment.
“We’re wishing Dave, Marc and Martin the very best of luck with this challenge and we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported them so far.”
To support this incredible fundraising challenge go to the GiveWheel page.
