Paula Radcliffe MBE Gold medallist World Marathon Championships 2005, World Half Marathon 2000,2001 and 2003, World Cross Country Championships 2001 and 2002, World 10,000m 2002 and Commonwealth 5000m 2002, and current record holder for the Women's Marathon and BBC Sports Personaility of the Year 2002  supports melanoma research and comments 'If you've got a mole anywhere that's changing in any way, get it checked out at once. Don't put it off, melanoma kills'

Martin Johnson CBE, captain, England Rugby World Cup winners 2003 and British Lions 1997 and 2001, coments 'The sooner we can find a cure for this terrible cancer that is affecting increasing numbers of sportsmen and women, the better'

Alan Titchmarsh, a former collerague at Kew, very kindly wrote the foreword to my book 'The Slowest Pilgrim', the story of my fundraising walk along the Pilgrim Trail to Santiago de Compostela (details on the Home Page) and supports melanoma research

Bill Roach MBE (Ken Barlow in Coronation Street)  supports melanoma research and comments 'I would like to congratulate all at the Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma Research Fund for their energy and imagination in their efforts to raise awareness of melanoma. I am happy to support and help the Trust, because by raising awareness many lives can be saved'

Mr Paul Banwell FRCS FRCS(Plast) is a Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) and a Visiting Professor of Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, USA. He is head of the QVH Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit (MASCU) and has an active interest in skin cancer research. Furthermore, Paul has published 2 books, published nearly a 100 papers and regularly lectures worldwide. He is also on the editorial board of several medical journals. He comments ‘Melanoma is a deadly disease. I believe that by raising the profile of this condition and improving public awareness, we can dramatically improve survival.

Mr Addie Grobbelaar MB ChB MMed(Plast) FCS(SA) FRCS(Plast), H J Joel Director of Research at RAFT (The Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust), comments 'I am very impressed by Harry's determination and dedication to raise funds to combat melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer which is such a distressing and horrible disease. RAFT's research has already benefitted from his fundraising'

Sadly, Bruce Craven, Sports Therapist at Leeds United FC and former conditioner for Leeds Tykes RUFC and a trainer with Castleford Rugby League team, died on February 27th 2005.

The support from his colleagues was enormous: and the entire Leeds United squad and support staff wore the green Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma Research Fund ribbon badges on their tracksuits for their match at Millwall the following weekend, where they played their hearts out for Bruce. Special permission was obtained from FIFA, the world governing body of football, for the green ribbon badges to be printed onto their shirts for their final match of the 2004-5 season: a unique gesture of support.

Leeds United had already organised a huge fundraising dinner for melanoma research on April 12th, which was attended by sports stars throughout the country, as a mark of the huge respect in which Bruce was held.

His funeral was on Friday March 11th

Bruce Craven 1973-2005

The players of Leeds United Football Club ( http://www.leedsunited.co.uk/ ) paid out of their own pockets for the production of 2,500 lime green wristbands, bearing the words MELANOMA AWARENESS www.melanoma-fund.co.uk all proceeds of which are going toMyfanwy's charity, for which we are extremely grateful. These are obtainable either from Leeds United (search on Leeds United Melanoma for information) or from ourselves at 6 Manor Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1LR