A Kent cricket fan is using Sunday’s final T20 Blast group game to raise awareness – and funds – for the Prostate Cancer charity.

Justin Foote from Iwade will walk the forty kilometres from Rainham Cricket Club’s home in Berengrave Lane – leaving at 10:15 in the morning – and is hoping to arrive at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in time for the 6:30pm start against Sussex Sharks.

Justin told us how he got the idea – and it turns out that it was courtesy of a discussion he had with KSN’s own Mike Green. “We were having a beer at Rainham Cricket Club, and I told Mike about a walk I’m doing from Gillingham to Charlton during the football season.”

“I wanted to do something involving Kent Cricket and asked if he knew who to talk to, and Mike said he’d mention it to coach Matt Walker and it really went from there.”

“Matt and everyone at Canterbury have been fantastic in helping arrange things and now “all” I’ve got to do is to walk from Rainham’s ground to the Spitfire Ground this Sunday.”

His fund-raising efforts have been boosted by personal experience as he explained. “Back in 2019, my uncle had his prostate removed after he was diagnosed with having prostate cancer,” Justin told us.

“Then in April 2019 my Dad visited the Medway Hospital on several occasions as was tested for the disease and wanted to raise awareness and raise essential funds after the fantastic treatment both had received from their time in hospital.”

He went on, “more importantly, a very close friend to me has been diagnosed with Stage 4 and sadly passed away in May 2021 of prostate cancer and I really want to raise further awareness / funds to help beat a disease that currently kills one man every forty five minutes within the United Kingdom and would really appreciate your support in a bid to support Prostate Cancer UK, and fund research to change the game and stop prostate cancer being a killer!”

Justin isn’t a stranger to charity walks for the Prostate Cancer charity as he told us, “I started walking for Prostate Cancer UK when I joined the London Stadium Marathon walk with SKY’s Jeff Stelling in 2019.”

“Since then, I completed the Jurassic Coast Challenge Walk along the South coast last May and after Sunday, I’m joining the London Stadium Walk and the Thames Path Challenge in September, before walking from Priestfield to the Valley before Gillingham’s game there in December.”

“Focusing on Sunday, I would like to especially thank Matt Walker, Simon Storey, Paul Downton, Liam Knight and Becca Smith of Kent Cricket, Kier McEvoy-Robinson & Matthew Holdstock of Prostate Cancer UK, my ‘Support Rider’ Nick Plumridge and finally my family for their amazing support and making this walk a reality. And not forgetting Network Rail who have donated me tickets for me to get home from Canterbury on Sunday evening…”

If you would like to contribute to Justin’s cause please go to the following “Just Giving” page  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/justin-foote

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.