FORMER Ulster, Ireland, British & Irish Lions Captain Rory Best is calling on people across in Fermanagh, and across Northern Ireland, to help him in his challenge to support Cancer Fund for Children – a charity that is very close to his heart.

From September 8 – 17, during Childhood Cancer Awareness month, Rory will walk 180 miles across the island of Ireland in a bid to raise more than £500,000 for the charity, with the sports legend also walking through Fermanagh's beautiful countryside on his fundraising quest.

Cancer Fund for Children’s ambition is that no child should face cancer alone. The charity's purpose is to help families cope with the emotional impact of childhood cancer or, sadly, to cope with losing a child to cancer.

Rory will walk from the charity's therapeutic centre – Daisy Lodge in Newcastle Co. Down – to the site of a proposed new Daisy Lodge in Co. Mayo, passing through the provinces of Ulster, Leinster, and Connaught, taking in Counties Down, Armagh, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Sligo, and Mayo.

Along his mammoth walk, he will take in more than 30 towns and villages, including a number of Fermanagh spots, with Kingsbridge Private Hospital and Ardonagh Insurance Group providing sponsorship support for this event.

The Daisy Lodge in Mayo is due to be built on the shores of Lough Corrib near the village of Cong in Co. Mayo.

Speaking at the fundraising launch, Rory said: "Cancer Fund for Children is an amazing charity, and this is just my small contribution of time and effort to go towards the incredible support they provide on the ground and through their Daisy Lodge therapeutic centre.

"I’m taking on the challenge of walking 180 miles in September – Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – to shine a light on the impact a cancer diagnosis has on children, young people and their families.

"Families need vital support and respite from hospital visits and the worry and stress of the situation they face every day.

"Cancer Fund for Children brings light in a very dark place for these families, and at Daisy Lodge they provide time for them to breathe again and to reconnect, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment.

"I hope you will get behind my challenge to help make a real difference to the lives of children with cancer.”

Cancer Fund for Children's chief executive officer, Phil Alexander, added: “We have been offering families from across the island of Ireland emotional support in Daisy Lodge for six years, but for every family we currently help, there are another six we cannot.

"The capacity in Daisy Lodge in Newcastle is not sufficient to meet the demand for our support, and that’s why we desperately need a second short-break centre in Co. Mayo.

"Behind every childhood cancer diagnosis there is a whole family affected, and beyond the essential medical care, there is a family life that needs to be rebuilt.

"A new therapeutic centre will help ensure that no child faces cancer alone, and we are looking forward to working with Rory and our key sponsors, Kingsbridge Private Hospitals and Ardonagh Insurance Group, to make this happen.”

To answer Rory’s call in aid of Cancer Fund for Children, or to find out how you can take on your own fundraising challenge during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, see cancerfundforchildren.com.