Tufnell ready to go the distance
by Alan Rowley, 15th May 2004

Phil Tufnell and his celebrity friends are on the starting line ready to set off on their 500 mile charity walk in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. The npower 500 is a 500 mile, month-long charity walk, starting on 16th May and finishes on the 12th June 2004.

Macmillan is npower's corporate charity and npower are the sponsors of test cricket in the UK. It's only natural for npower to support an ex-cricketer who's doing his bit for others. The npower 500 aims to raise a massive £250,000 for Macmillan. You can do your bit to help us smash through this figure by making a donation.

The npower 500 will take Phil 28 days to complete. Visits to Test match cricket grounds, plus twenty village cricket grounds, are planned along the way. Is the npower 500 going to visit a place near you? You can find the full route, which includes Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, here.

'the follow on' are also joining in the action with a charity cricket match between An Outlawed XI and The Sting In The Tail XI. This game has already has attracted players from Cutthorpe to Kimberley and Swarkestone to Newark. The 20 over a side game takes place at Eastwood Town Cricket Club on Greenhills Road, and is timed to start as Phil arrives at the ground. In the evening, 'the follow on' is organising a charity auction in the Eastwood pavilion, with all proceeds going to the charity.

For more details of the match, click here.
To donate an auction item, contact alan@thefollowon.com.

Tufnell is due to enter Derbyshire on May 31st when he visits County League side Parwich Cricket Club. The following day, June 1st, Phil travels to Yorkshire and Derbyshire League outfit Hathersage Cricket Club. After a trip around South Yorkshire, Phil returns on June 9th in Hartington and visits Wirksworth Cricket Club on the 10th before spending his final night at Eastwood on the 11th.

Phil will be arriving at each venue at 4 pm, with the exception of Hathersage where he finishes at 6 pm. 'the follow on' will be recording the event in full, as will the official npower 500 site. You can keep track of the walk, and read Phil's daily diary, by clicking here.

Phil will be accompanied on his walk by his celebrity friends including fellow "I'm a Celebrity" contestants John Fashanu, Anthony Worrell Thompson and Chris Bisson. Other stars expected to turn out in support include Daley Thompson, Neil Ruddock, Jeffrey Archer, Zara Phillips, Robin Smith, Gus Fraser and Martin Johnson.

It's going to be the highlight of a memorable summer, so keep up to date with all the blood, sweat and tears here on 'the follow on' - the voice of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire cricket.