Supporter Spotlight
An interview with John Edgar from North Kilworth Wharf
John Edgar and Gez Wright are wonderful long-term supporters of Hope Against Cancer. They are always collecting on our behalf as well as donating directly, regularly providing raffle prizes and running events.
We recently sat down to chat with them about their support.
John and Gez run the North Kilworth Wharf on the Grand Union Canal. The wharf caters to most things boats – hire, repair, re-paint – and if they don’t know, you can be sure they know someone who does. As such, they are well known in the community, particularly on the Leicester stretch of the iconic canal.
John is always happy to provide free excursions on the boat ‘Lazy Days’ as a prize for any auctions or raffles that Hope are running, and, as North Kilworth Wharf is stationed on a particularly charming section of the Grand Union, where it runs for 22 miles without any locks, these prizes are always enjoyed by the winners.
Thanks to a boom in ‘staycations’ after the COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted, business is doing well and they are always looking for new ways to support Hope Against Cancer.
In 2024, they came up with an idea they decided to name ‘Hopetober’.
October is a quiet month for the boat hire business and so John and Gez invited friends as well as anyone who had had even a small issue with their canal boat holiday to enjoy a free 3–4 day hire.
While it was not compulsory, they did ask each person for a donation to Hope and, across the six trips taken in October, they raised £1422 for world-class local cancer research and care.
We asked them why they have chosen to support Hope with such dedication and passion for so long, and John told us that he had first become aware of the charity through the Chair of the board of trustees, Rick Moore. He has been friends with Rick for twenty years and he “found a purpose in supporting Hope”.
There is no way any visitor to North Kilworth Wharf can come away unaware of Hope Against Cancer. The team there like to help people and always endeavour to provide the best possible price for repairs (or whatever a boat’s need may be) – and alongside this usually comes a request for a donation to Hope.
This summer for example, the great David Suchet, probably best known for his role as detective Hercule Poirot, also found himself donating to Hope having dropped by the wharf for some help.
Every penny counts and we are extremely grateful for the constant support of John, Gez and everyone at North Kilworth Wharf – it is through such continual and dedicated support that we are able to make, and keep, our funding commitments for the Hope Cancer Trials Centre and the other world-class local researchers we support.
