A GROUP of inspirational scientists set off from Penarth on Friday and are set to travel 260 miles for Cancer Research UK.

Professor Duncan Baird and his team of seven researchers at the Division of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine are determined to highlight the threat the financial impact of Covid-19 has for cancer patients in Wales and across the UK.

On their journey the group will visit every Cancer Research UK shop in south Wales.

They set off on the challenge from Penarth on August 7 and will cover the distance via a mix of running, walking, cycling and driving.

Their tour will take in 14 Cancer Research shops including Cowbridge, Whitchurch, Canton, Bridgend, Cardiff, Port Talbot, Swansea, Neath, Merthyr, Cwmbran, Tenby, Camarthern and finish at the Abergavenny shop on August 28.

Professor Baird said: “Research into cancer is facing a crisis where years and even decades worth of work could be lost and progress stalled for years to come. Every day and every pound counts.

“We want to visit all the Cancer Research UK shops in south Wales to highlight the fantastic work they do in raising money to support world beating cancer research.”

The charity raises over £25 million each year across 600 shops across the UK. But the pandemic meant all their shops were closed for three months. Now they’ve opened again with strict new health and safety measures in place to ensure customers enjoy a safe shopping experience.

Cancer Research UK is expecting a staggering £160 million drop in income in the year ahead caused by shop closures and the cancellation of mass participation events like Race for Life. As a result, the charity has had to make the difficult decision to cut £44 million in research funding.

Professor Baird added: “Funding by Cancer Research UK is crucial to helping us find new discoveries and find better and kinder treatments for cancer patients.”

The pandemic meant the professor and his team had to hang up their lab coats during lockdown.

Despite this, the remaining members of the team have been able to carry on the fight against cancer from home, analysing their data, writing up results for publication and planning new experiments.

This vital work is slowly restarting - but with new safety measures in place in the lab and complex experiments to recover, it could take months to get back up and running at full speed.

Helen Evans, Area Manager for Cancer Research UK shops across South Wales said: “We’re so grateful to Professor Baird and his team for visiting our shops. Our staff remain tirelessly committed to beating cancer and we deeply admire and respect the work the scientists do to beat the disease sooner.”

To sponsor the challenge visit https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/telomere-lab-cruk-shop-visit.