Tufnell to walk npower 500 for Macmillan Cancer Relief
by Alan Rowley, 19th March 2004

Phil Tufnell and energy giant npower have teamed up for a mammoth month-long charity walk for Macmillan Cancer Relief. The npower 500 will see I’m a Celebrity star Phil walk 500 miles around the cricket grounds of England in an attempt to raise £250,000 for the charity, which cares for people with cancer. Phil’s mum, Sylvia, died of leukaemia, a form of cancer in 1980.

The former England cricketer – now a team captain on the popular TV game show They Think It's All Over – will walk to a total of 20 village cricket clubs and six Test Match grounds, starting at Hove in Sussex on Sunday 16th May and finishing 28 days and 500 miles later at the npower Test Match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Saturday June 12th.

Phil said: 'The npower 500 is going to be my biggest test yet but it’s a challenge I look forward to. There are very few of us who are not affected by cancer and I have a very personal connection – I lost my mother to leukaemia and understand the difference that a charity like Macmillan can make to people living with cancer. I am really committed to raising as much money as possible knowing that it will help Macmillan Cancer Relief to continue their excellent work.'

Phil follows in the footsteps of cricket legend Ian Botham, whose own walks raised huge amounts for charity. Phil said: 'I’ve spoken to Ian about the event. He says I’ll be in a lot of pain with blisters and so on but he’s passed on a few tricks of the trade – including a secret ‘rocket fuel’ drink to keep me going when it gets really tough.'

npower is cricket’s biggest sponsor, backing the Test Series and Village cricket. It has 8,500 staff nationwide and hopes to leverage its sponsorships and massive staff network to raise around £250,000 in a month for Macmillan Cancer Relief with the npower 500.

Village cricket clubs have already been invited to get involved and many are throwing money-raising parties to welcome Phil as he completes each of the 28 stages. Phil said: 'It's great to be taking in so many village cricket grounds – and very heartening to know that people are getting behind the npower 500 and looking to raise some money whilst having fun. Happy - but hard - days ahead, I think.'

Andy Duff, CEO of RWE Innogy, the parent company of npower, said: 'npower has a great, youthful get-up and go mentality and to our thousands of staff and millions of customers, it is important that we use our power, energies and size creatively to support the communities in which we operate, to raise good money for Macmillan. We’re all behind Phil and wish him a great walk and a good pair of trainers!'

Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief, said: 'We are delighted that Phil Tufnell is undertaking this personal challenge on behalf of Macmillan. Four in ten people, during their lifetime, will undergo their own challenge of a cancer diagnosis and the need for cancer care services has never been greater. Money raised from the npower 500 will help provide the practical and emotional support which will change the lives of people living with cancer today.'

People can visit www.npower500.com to follow Phil’s progress and donate money online to Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Donations can also be made by cheque, payable to Macmillan Cancer Relief and sent to: Sarah Winchester, Macmillan Cancer Relief, 89 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7UQ. They can also be made by calling telephone number 020 7840 4642 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

Read: I'm a celebrity - get your wallet out | Full npower 500 route | npower 500 official website