Four friends, one boat, 2500 miles - an epic voyage

A group of four colleagues are due to sail around the British Isles to raise money and awareness for us.

Mark Cosgrove, Alfie Cosgrove, Graham Crowther and Eugene Campbell MBE will be setting off from Whitby Harbour in their 30ft yacht Brieli on Sunday 2nd June on a 2500 circumnavigation of the British Isles. The only time they will pull into port is for resupplying or in the case of extreme weather.

The epic journey, named Voyage for Hope, is the brainchild of Mark Cosgrove, an internationally renowned photojournalist, who had life changing surgery for bladder cancer. He also lost his mother-in-law to cancer last October and it was then, as she was being treated at Weston Park Cancer Centre that Mark saw first-hand the essential work that we do.

Mark said: "Following my own cancer treatment and the passing of my mother-in-law last October I felt compelled to help the hospital and charity and so I decided to set up Voyage for Hope.With every knot of wind in our sails, we are striving to make a tangible impact to the lives of patients and their families. Together, united on this voyage, we can be a force for good".

The group are hoping people will join the team on the extraordinary journey by donating and contributing to their £10,000 fundraising goal.

Supporters are encouraged to send a ‘With Us In Spirit’ message which will be put on a sticker and attached to the hull of the yacht for the 2,500 mile journey. For a suggested donation of £10, supporters can leave a message for someone who’s receiving treatment, for a loved one or simply a message of hope for the group.

Fundraising Manager at Weston Park Cancer Charity, Sam Heritage, said: “We are with Mark, Alfie, Graham and Eugene every step of the way as they embark on this journey. We can’t wait to wave them off at Whitby and on behalf of everyone at Weston Park Cancer Charity, a huge thank you to them for their commitment. We’ll be cheering them back into harbour when they return to Whitby at the end of their voyage and we welcome people to join us. Fair winds and following seas!”

For more information about the fundraiser and to donate to the group’s page, please visit: https://wpcc-register-fundraiser.raisely.com/t/voyageforhopebrieli