Fire recruits complete 31km charity march to St Neots in support of colleague’s cancer fight

Newly qualified firefighters have completed a 31km charity march from Huntingdon to St Neots in support of a colleague battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.

The group of nine recruits from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service set off from Service Headquarters in Huntingdon at around 8.50am on Thursday (20 March), all while carrying a stretcher loaded with 80kg of weight. They arrived at St Neots Fire Station just before sunset at 5.40pm.

The challenge came just one day after the recruits completed their 10-week training course, marking the end of their initial journey into the fire service.

Covering more than 30 kilometres, much of the route followed the Ouse Valley Way, with the group facing a number of obstacles along the way — including difficult terrain, fallen trees and gates — but completing the full distance together.

The march was organised as a fundraiser for fellow firefighter Watch Commander Paul Whitaker, who is currently undergoing treatment for a Grade 3 astrocytoma, a serious and unpredictable form of brain cancer.

Paul, a husband and father of two young boys, was diagnosed in April 2024. Since then, he has undergone major brain surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, followed by seven weeks of radiotherapy and a year of chemotherapy, which finished in September last year.

In a statement shared as part of the fundraising campaign, Paul described the impact the diagnosis has had on his family.

“Hearing those words, ‘you have a brain tumour’, shattered everything we knew,” he said.
“Through all the hospital visits and difficult days, we’ve done everything we can to keep life joyful for our boys.”

Paul is now hoping to access a specialist immunotherapy treatment known as ADCV, a personalised vaccine designed to help the immune system target tumour cells. However, the treatment is not currently available through the NHS or private insurance and must be self-funded.

“We’re fundraising not for a miracle but for a chance,” he said.
“A chance to watch our boys grow up… a chance to live.”

The fundraising appeal has already raised more than £71,000 towards a £140,000 target.

Donations are still being accepted to support Paul and his family as they continue their fight. CLICK HERE TO DONATE