Wallsend cancer research charity gears up for 25th Great North Bike Ride in memory of teenager who had terminal diagnosis

The Chris Lucas Trust has worked to fundraise for children's cancer research for 25 years - focusing on the illness, rhabdomyosarcoma, that killed Chris himself at just 18.

IC Newcastle Evening Chronicle

By Sam Volpe Health Reporter

00:45, 17 Jun 2025

25 years on from the death of a Wallsend teenager due to terminal cancer, the charity set up by his friends and family has raised millions to support research into the rare form of the disease he had. Chris Lucas was just 18 when he died in 2000.

A quarter of a century on, the Chris Lucas Trust is still going strong - and organises the hugely popular fundraising Great North Bike Ride each year. The charity has now raised more than £2.5m which has gone towards funding researchers working on ways to support patients with the terminal diagnosis - rhabdomyosarcoma - Chris had.

It is a form of cancer that affects around sixty children in the UK each year. Now, the charity funds two researchers at the Institute for Cancer Research in Surrey - and just this month Chris's parents, who are both called Lynn, visited Prof Janet Shipley there to see how cutting edge research there is progressing.

Later in the year, come August, the charity will be marking the 25th anniversary of Chris's death with the annual bike ride - and hundreds will take part - which shows how far the charity has come since in the weeks following Chris's death six of his friends decided to take on the route themselves, which runs from Seahouses to Tynemouth.

Both of Chris' parents were made MBEs last year. Mum Lynn told ChronicleLive how vital the charity's work remains. She said: "We lost Chris in 2000. He had this very rare form of cancer - and we found there wasn't a lot going on in terms of research. We wanted to help raise money to support that.

"Back in 2000 six of Chris's friends said they'd do the bike ride. And we started the charity on the back of that. And the following year, it just took off. Just prior to Covid I think we had more than 2,000 people take part."

Chris Lucas

She added: "It isn't a cancer you survive - but you can get treatment. Christopher was only 18, and he had his whole life ahead of him. So keeping the focus on the charity is something for us to focus on."

As for the gong - awarded in the King's Birthday Honours, she added: "My husband I, he is also Lynn, went down to Windsor Castle to collect our MBEs. It was for the awful lot of people who have supported the charity over the years."

Lynn added that research had been something important to them since Chris got his diagnosis - before his death he took part in several trials - while since then funding progress in an under-served area of cancer research has been vital.

Over the years, the charity has become the largest organisation in Europe exclusively funding research on rhabdomyosarcoma. The ICR in Surrey is currently working to develop new drugs for children who do not respond to existing cancer treatments.

Last week the charity held a sign-up event at the Quayside's Cycle Hub encouraging eager cyclists to get involved. This year's Great North Bike Ride will take place on August 24 - while there are also opportunities to run the Great North Run for the charity, or hold fundraising events such as golf days.