Take a walk on the valley side

Hillsborough man, Peter Clarke – a volunteer for Friends of the Cancer Centre - is the organiser behind the 'Friends' fourth annual Belvoir Forest and Lagan Valley Walk.

This year the public is being invited to bring their 'Friends' along to join in and help raise funds to support the local centre of excellence in cancer care. The 2009 event raised over 14,000 to help support cancer patients and their families.

Every year Peter gets a team of 12 friends and family on board to help him run the event – which includes a picnic lunch. He was inspired to devise this walk to raise funds after reading an item of the charity's literature which outlined the practical ways the charity helps cancer patients and their relatives.

Peter, a Data Manager at the Cancer Centre at the Belfast City Hospital, says, "The ten mile walk is a very enjoyable event for all ages, particularly given the beautiful setting of the Park.

"We encourage participants to ideally register in advance for the day. With six miles in the morning and four in the afternoon, we commence registration at 9.30am and start the walk at 11am so we can take a break for lunch to relax with some live music, and aim to wrap up the second stint by around mid afternoon.

"Thanks must go to the Forest Service and Lagan Valley Regional Park for their cooperation in allowing us to host this event to raise funds for such an important charity."

You can download a registration from by visiting www.friendsofthecancercentre.com. Alternatively, call Colleen or Kelly at Friends of the Cancer Centre on 9069 9393 or email [email protected].