Harpenden Lions prepare to scale Mount Snowdon (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Harpenden Lions prepare to scale Mount Snowdon

3:51pm Thursday 29th April 2010 in News By Manisha Mistry

FOUR intrepid Lions will scale Mount Snowdon to raise money for cancer research.

The members of the Harpenden branch were inspired to take on the Snowdon 500 Challenge after a fellow Lion Steve Gledhill was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.

Bengie Walden, 69, Chris Edwards, 63, Tony Usher, 59, and Paul Nield, 64, have been preparing for the gruelling climb on Saturday, May 22, in aid of their friend who has since overcome the disease.

Paul said: “Steve has been through it and that's our inspiration for taking on the challenge.

“There was an advert in our magazine for Snowdon 500 and to raise some money for Prostate Cancer charity. I thought to myself I am still fit and healthy and if I can do it maybe I can recruit some of the other Lions to join me.

“We have done one big training event and on that day there was howling wind, rain and it was really tough.

“I think everybody knows somebody that's been affected by cancer and for us what Steve went through is enough of a reason to support the charity.”

The team, who have named themselves Harpenden Lion 254, hope to raise at least £2,000 for the Prostate Cancer Research Centre.

Steve, 51, said: “I think it's great what they are doing. In term of the cancer I had no symptoms at all. It's only because I happened to be with my GP one day and asked for a test so that's how they found it.

“It was the aggressive form and it was caught at the right time because had it been any longer there would have been no way of stopping it.

“We need to raise awareness because there is no screening at all to check for cancer in men.”

Almost £800 of the team's target has been raised and to make a donation visit www.justgiving.co.uk/HarpendenLions254.