Cancer-stricken head teams up to raise £10,000 for charity

But after coming to terms with the initial shock, he vowed to approach the challenge with the same positive attitude he has shown throughout his life.

The father-of-three from Stannington, Sheffield, teamed up with his friend Mike Lydiat and started performing a series of concerts throughout Sheffield to raise money for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity.

The duo, who have been friends for over 20 years, play to a diverse range of audiences and have raised more than £10,000 for the charity in just two years.

Former marathon and fell runner Mr Markham, 58, said: “It took me a long time to get my head around being diagnosed with cancer. I had always led an active lifestyle, so naturally I did wonder, ‘Why me?’

“My diagnosis and subsequent treatment meant that I was no longer able to continue with my lifelong career as a head teacher and therefore I found myself searching for something else to focus on.

“Through music I found a real purpose again, and knowing that our work could directly benefit the lives of others living with cancer, it spurred us on to do more and more.

“We never expected to raise such a large amount of money from what started out as a hobby, but this has been a firm motivator for us to continue supporting this fantastic cause.”

The pair, calling themselves Toffee Music – Two Old Fellas For Evening Entertainment – have now built an established fan base, on a weekly basis.

Mr Lydiat, also a former head teacher, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have raised over £10,000 for the cancer charity, which will ultimately go towards improving the standards of care for patients, like Dave. Weston Park Hospital is a real beacon for the area and we simply cannot do enough to thank them for the gold-standard services they provide.”