Widow of former Conservative MP to walk through East Sussex to raise money for charity

Cathy Brokenshire will be walking 13 miles from Seaford to Eastbourne on Thursday, October 26 to raise funds and awareness for lung cancer in memory of her late husband.

Mr Brokenshire died of lung cancer in October 2021. At just 53 years old and a lifelong non-smoker, his diagnosis came as a huge shock to him, his family, friends and colleagues alike.

Mr Brokenshire was originally diagnosed in 2018 after he coughed up blood and his initial prognosis was good, and he underwent surgery at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital in London, however he passed away on October 7 2021.

Since his death, Cathy has become a trustee and ambassador for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, the UK’s only lung cancer charity which supports everyone affected by the disease.

His tribute page has raised over £160,000 over the past two years and Cathy is determined to keep the momentum going and uphold James’s legacy.

She said: “This year, we have taken the biggest step forward in improving outcomes for people with lung cancer. The announcement of national screening and gradual implementation will help more people get diagnosed far earlier when curative treatment is possible.

“Our fear, however, is that there is now a presumption that lung cancer is fixed. Sadly, this is far from the case.

“Screening, as momentous as it is, will only save around 26 per cent of those who will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. What’s more, screening is currently only available to people with a smoking history. James, who was a strong advocate for targeted screening, would not have been eligible so we need to find more ways to diagnose and treatment everyone as early as possible. And for that, we need a long-term commitment to research.”

Earlier this year, Cathy announcement the launch of the James Brokenshire Clinical Research Fellowship, a programme operated by Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to fund the next generation of lung cancer researchers with the aim at improving the clinical outcomes for people at risk of lung cancer and for those living with the disease.

Cathy continued: “Look at the significant improvement in long-term breast cancer survival rates.

“It’s clear that sustained levels in research funding is key to changing outcomes.

“I just want to play my part in giving people with lung cancer the same opportunity to live through the disease rather than die of it. James didn’t have that opportunity, but I know he would want others to. This is what drives me on.”

The walk takes place on the brink of lung cancer awareness month, a key date in Cathy and Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s diary.

“Lung cancer was never something we thought would affect our family,” concludes Cathy. “Whilst I cannot fault the speed in which James was initially diagnosed and treated, I know this is definitely not the case for many people, and in particular for non-smokers and younger people.

“This is what makes this awareness campaign so important; challenging those outdated and dangerous misconceptions which are inevitably taking our loved ones from us far too soon.”