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Fire recruits hike for watch commander with cancer

Joanna TaylorCambridgeshire
News imageCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue A group of nine young people, wearing dark coloured t-shirts and trousers with fluorescent stripes towards the bottom walking along a path towards the camera. Some of them are holding up a stretcher with a dummy lying on it. Around them is grass and trees. There is also a small dog on the grass. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service's nine newest recruits took on the 18 mile (29km) challenge

Nine new firefighters have completed a "challenging" 18 mile (29km) hike in Cambridgeshire while carrying a life-size dummy to raise money for a colleague diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The recruits walked along the Ouse Valley Way between Huntingdon and St Neots fire stations carrying the 12.6 stone (80kg) dummy in a stretcher.

Donations were added to the fundraiser for watch commander Paul Whitaker, from Huntingdon, who raised more than £71k towards immunotherapy for a brain tumour not available on the NHS.

Daisy Powell, who took part in the walk, said it was a "tough route".

There were "nice scenes along the river", she said, "but bushes and brambles to combat while carrying an 80 kilogram dummy".

"It was challenging for some, but we got back in good time," she added.

The recruits set off at 08:50 and completed the walk at 17:40 GMT on Friday.

They will be stationed at fire stations in Dogsthorpe, Stanground, Cambridge, Huntingdon and Ely, having completed their initial training.

News imageCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Nine young men and women wearing dark coloured t-shirts and trousers with fluorescent stripes towards the bottom standing in a group with a stretcher carrying a dummy wrapped in dark clothing. There are large red doors behind them on a red brick building. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue
The nine recruits completed the challenge to celebrate completing their initial training

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said it hoped the donations would "boost the funds needed to support Paul's treatment to give him more time with his wife and children".

Whitaker was told in 2024 he had a grade 3 astrocytoma.

News imageCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Paul Whitaker is in his uniform, standing in front of a red and yellow fire engine, facing the camera. The word 'FIRE' is partially visible on the vehicle behind. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue
Paul Whitaker joined Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2008 and was diagnosed with brain cancer in his early forties

He hoped £140k ADVC treatment would prolong his life.

The treatment is manufactured in the same manner as the DCVax-L vaccine which had a successful clinical trial completed in 2015.

It was a personalised vaccine that helped the immune system recognise and attack tumour cells.

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