Richard Herring helps two Hertfordshire hospitals by raising £30,000

A comedian has raised more than £30,000 for the testicular cancer facilities where he was treated.

Richard Herring wishes to thank NHS personnel at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage and the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, North London for their efforts.

Nine months after his operation, he ran the Hertfordshire Half Marathon in November, raising £30,422.

In February, the stand-up comedian who rose to prominence as part of the comedic duo Lee and Herring with Stewart Lee had surgery at the Lister. Herring, 54, received chemotherapy at Mount Vernon in March and completed the 13.1-mile (21-kilometre) marathon on November 7.

“It’s a fantastic personal achievement, but also a reminder that cancer is not the end of the world and that it may be survivable,” he wrote in a blog post after the race. I still don’t believe I had cancer, but sentiments aren’t facts, evidently.

Prior to the marathon, which began and ended in Knebworth, it was announced that he had received a pledge to match any donations made on the day, allowing him to surpass his £25,000 goal.

I never expected when I was having the surgery that I’d be running a half marathon just nine months later and that I’d complete it in under two hours! Said Herring, who was previously a winner on Channel 4’s quiz show Taskmaster.

He claimed on his Just Giving page that the money would be split between the two hospitals and would go to a charity that sponsors the procurement of new speciality equipment, additional staff training, research, and programmes to improve the patient experience.

Richard is a terrific comic who also happens to be a genuinely pleasant and caring person. His incredible fundraising efforts will ensure that our incredible NHS personnel continue to deliver exceptional care to patients in similar situations. You owe us all a debt of gratitude.