A North Devon counsellor who provides free emotional support to people affected by cancer is preparing to take on a special 120-mile fundraising challenge across Devon this September.
Paul Butler, who works at the Royal Devon Hospitals Charity Fern Centre – the cancer wellbeing centre at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple – has supported hundreds of patients and family members through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Next month, he will be taking that support one step further – or several hundred thousand steps further – when he embarks on a solo ‘Coast to Coast for Cancer’ walk to raise money for the Fern Centre and Chemo Hero, the charity that funds his counselling role.
Paul, 63, from Chulmleigh says it is a privilege to work in his role and seeing first-hand the difference counselling can make to people living with cancer and those close to them.
He said: “The emotional and psychological impact of illness can often be one of the most difficult things for people to cope with, and it’s not unusual for a cancer diagnosis or treatment to feel overwhelming.
“People can experience a whole range of emotions.
Cancer can be life-changing, not only for the individual but for the whole family.
– Paul Butler, Fern Centre counsellor
“On a personal level, I sadly lost both my father and my brother to cancer, while my mother lived with a chronic form of leukaemia for many years.
“Being able to offer people the opportunity to talk openly about cancer, and to help them make sense of the complex emotions they may be experiencing, means a great deal to me.”
Paul will set off from Wembury Bay on 5 September, following the Two Moors Way across Dartmoor and Exmoor before finishing in Lynton, completing his journey 12 days later on 17 September.
He hopes to raise £1,500 through the challenge and the funds raised will be shared between the Fern Centre and Chemo Hero, helping to ensure people affected by cancer can continue to access vital emotional support and wellbeing services.
To sponsor Paul and support his coast-to-coast trek, click here.
