A BOY whose dad died of bowel cancer is doing a charity cycle ride from London to Brighton tomorrow and has raised over £10,000 in his memory.

James Fleming, 16, from Brighton, decided to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK in memory of his father, Mike Fleming, who died on May 18 this year, after being diagnosed with cancer in 2019.

James said he wants to turn it into something positive, and the bike ride with his friends is the perfect way to do that.

He said: “I want to turn a sad situation into something positive. Dad was always cheerful and wanted to make everyday count.

The Argus: Mike Fleming.Mike Fleming.

“He was so positive, easy to get on with and chatty with everyone. I want to do this bike ride for him with a group of my friends and raise as much money as possible for the research into bowel cancer.”

He set a target of £3,000 but has raised well over triple that, with the current figure on his JustGiving page at £10,483.

The Argus: James (right) and two of his friends.James (right) and two of his friends.

Caroline Fleming, James' mother and Mike's wife, thanked everyone for their kindness and support.

She said: "Mike knew about this charity bike ride and he was so amazed by James and his friends for setting themselves a challenge for such a worthy cause.

"I can’t thank people enough for their kindness and support whether it’s from business, rugby clubs, football clubs, schools, colleges, friends and colleagues.

"Mike had so much charisma, a beautiful smile and an abundance of energy and was always looking to make the most out of life. Bowel cancer cut this cruelly short. Raising funds for research is vital to save more lives."

The Argus: Mike passed away in May of this year.Mike passed away in May of this year.

James and his group of mates will be cycling 60 miles on Sunday from 10.30am, and have been equipped with cycling jerseys, while people supporting when they arrive in Brighton will get t-shirts.

The boys are finishing the bike ride at Hove lawns on Sunday evening at around 4.30pm to 5.30pm and will be rewarded with medals and banners at the finish line.

If you would like the donate to James’ cause for research into bowel cancer in memory of his dad. Visit his JustGiving page by clicking here.