A BIDSTON man is going a long way for charity when he embarks on a 40,000 km bike ride around the world in memory of his uncle.

Andrew Robinson, from Bidston, will be setting off from Liverpool’s world-renowned Walton Centre – the only specialist neurosciences NHS Trust in the UK – this Sunday for the start of his impressive fundraising feat.

The 30-year-old will then head east to Hull, where he will catch a ferry to Europe before heading north to the Arctic Circle, then on to Russia, Asia, the Himalayas, India and eventually, Australia.

Andrew is hoping his super-human effort will result in support from those who want to do their bit to help The Brain Tumour Charity fund vital research into this most pernicious of cancers. 

“The route started off as a ‘Liverpool to somewhere’ idea, to try and raise a little bit of money for Brain Tumour UK and raise a little bit of awareness along the way. And it sort of grew from there,” explained Andrew.

“It’s a journey of discovery for me and, I hope, along the way, I’ll help to raise awareness for brain tumour research – still a woefully underfunded area of research.”

The statistics speak for themselves. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer and five-year survival remains low at just 19.8% - yet they receive just 1% of all cancer funding in the UK.

It was the death of Andrew’s uncle Mark that first fired up his desire to do something to help.

He said: “Mark received superb care from the Walton Centre, but the fact is, these cancers can and - sadly - do present real challenges for specialists, and more money is needed if they’re ever to stand a chance of beating them.”

For the next year and a half, Andrew will be wheeling his way to Sydney - to be met by his brother, who lives there.

En route, he’ll have to endure some of the world’s toughest terrains - and physical endurance the likes of which it’s hard to prepare for.

“I’ve been training on Bidston Hill - it’s hardly the Himalayas.

“Due to the route, I think I’m coming into contact with pretty much every type of weather imaginable.

“From the bitter cold - and the bears - of Scandinavia, to the altitudes and passes of Nepal, the steppes of Kazakhstan to the searing heat of the Australian outback, it’ll be as tough a challenge as any cycle ride could be.

 “But I saw, first hand, the fight my uncle gave, for five years, with brain tumours, and this is nothing compared to that.” 

Andrew added: “I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their support.  It will really help fuel me on my way, which, as I’ll be using upwards of 9000 calories a day, will be really crucial to my success.”