All funds raised will support thousands of families who walk through the doors of Maggie's at the Royal Marsden in Sutton each year.

"When Mike died back in 2021, Covid restrictions were still in place and we weren't able to bring family and friends together to celebrate his life. With a couple of years under our belts, I feel strong enough to use the occasion of what would have been Mike's 50th birthday (it falls on a Saturday so I think the universe is telling us something!) to celebrate the man we all love and miss and raise funds for the amazing Maggie's Centre at The Royal Marsden who have been (and continue to be) there for Millie, Cooper and I and thousands of other families fighting the cancer battle.

Anyone who has experienced cancer either as the patient, carer, friend or family member will understand just how overwhelming and lonely hospitals can feel. Unfortunately the cancer treatment journey means a lot of time is spent in hospital...a lot of waiting...a lot of lonely times.

That's why, when I was given a flyer about the Maggie's Centre at the Royal Marsden Sutton opening I knew I had to check it out. The centre became a place I could escape to whilst Mike had treatment. The kettle is always on and Bryn and his team are on-hand to chat about difficult things or normal, everyday things. When I had to tell the kids that Mike wasn't going to make it, I couldn't face doing it in a sterile hospital room so I took them to Maggie's where I knew I had support if I needed it.

The Maggie's help didn't stop there. Since Mike died, I have been fortunate enough to have (quite a lot of!) sessions with the amazing in-house psychologist - it truly is rare to find someone who understands all the complicated elements of my grief. Kate also invited me to join a Widows group where I've met three incredible and very strong women who also lost the loves of their lives to cancer. It's not an easy thing to do...just because you're a widow doesn't automatically mean you're going to get along and want to share your saddest and angriest thoughts but Kate spotted something in all of us and I hope that this is a group they continue for others.

There's not much more for me to say, other than I really do hope that you, your families and friends will join Millie, Cooper and I on this very special occasion."

Tickets cost £80/ person but if you want to secure a table for 10 people, there is an option to buy a table at £800 (we'll be in touch later for guest names and dietary requirements).