A CANCER sufferer who has raised more than £50,000 for a health charity is planning a March For Men fundraising walk this summer.
Jim Thompson, who lives at Ickornshaw, Cowling, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2010.
In 2012, his condition worsened and he had his prostate removed, only a week after his daughter Sarah’s wedding.
Although he had undergone a prostatectomy, unfortunately the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.
Upon hearing this news, Jim decided he did not want anyone else to go through what he had, and made a resolution to do everything he could to raise the profile of men’s health and get rid of the taboo of talking about cancer. 
So he started up the charity Geordie Jim’s Boys, and since its inception about six years ago a total of around £56,000 has been raised with most of the funds going to Movember UK. 
“I just keep going to try and raise as much money and awareness as possible,” said Jim.
Jim said that one in eight men will get prostate cancer and on average a man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer. 
He said: “I could become an evangelist, because I often start spouting out about getting checked for prostate cancer.
 “I’m already on borrowed time,” admitted Jim, who as part of his current treatment is receiving female hormones, which has resulted in him losing hair on most of his body.
“I may be slowly turning into a woman,” Jim joked.
“But I’d rather be alive.”
The treatment also impacts his facial hair growth when he takes part in Movember, as Jim said: “My moustache is always the worst because I’m taking so many female hormones.”
The fundraising has been achieved through raffles, auctions for donations of goods and time and the sponsored growing of a moustache for Movember.
There have also been ‘off the wall’ fundraising events, including a naked calendar which raised over £4,000, zip wire challenge, car treasure hunt, ‘Moustaches to Ashes’ firewalk and a cycling ‘Tour de Bradley’.
The biggest ‘off-the-wall’ fundraiser was in 2013 when a group of Bradley pub-goers stripped off their clothes to pose for a fundraising calendar.
Landlord Phil Cook and regulars at the Slaters Arms were among 21 men, aged from 23 to 82, who were featured in a variety of naked poses for calendar,  which raised about £8,000 for Movember.
At the time, Phil said: “I think this calendar could go global.”
And he was right, as Jim said: “We had an initial print run of 100, but we had to repeat it because we were getting people from all over the world, including countries like Australia, Canada and Greece, who wanted to buy the calendar.”
This summer Jim is planning a March For Men canal walk on Saturday, June 9, beginning at the Beer Engine pub in Skipton, and finishing at Gallagher’s Ale House in Cross Hills.
The walk starts at 11am and costs £5 to register.
For further details, visit Geordie Jim’s Boys on Facebook.