It is with great sadness that we share with you the news of the passing of our great friend Colin Stokes MBE.

Colin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, and in a style typical of the man, his reaction was not to dwell on the matter, it was to say to his Consultant, Mr John Davies ‘you keep me alive, and I will raise some money for new equipment’.

So began the Prostate Project, a volunteer lead charity that has for over 25 years maintained Colin’s ambition, to give men a better chance of beating prostate cancer.

From the original, rather modest target of £300,000 for new scanning equipment, under Colin’s watchful eye the charity has raised more than £11 million, contributing to research, life-saving equipment, awareness raising and of course, co-funding of the £6 million Centre for Urology at Royal Surrey Hospital, which so proudly bears Colin’s name.

The charity was also pivotal in the creation of the cancer research group at the University of Surrey in 2006, providing 50% of the start-up funding. This team led the way in in cancer immunotherapy research and was instrumental in bringing immune-based cancer treatments to the clinic.

That the Stokes Centre for Urology has become a world-renowned facility for the treatment of prostate cancer is a legacy that could hardly have been envisaged in the early days of the charity, but it is undoubtedly thanks to Colin’s drive, and his ability to inspire others.

Colin was a master communicator, able to speak to people at every level without fear for causes that he held dear, and here we would like to mention his work with Arthouse Unlimited and Meath Epilepsy Charity, they too benefitted from Colin’s tireless efforts.

It is difficult to think of Colin without smiling. He was a man possessed of boundless enthusiasm and genuine warmth, while supportive, encouraging, witty and commanding are other words that spring quickly to mind. Despite the accolades that came his way, Colin was always quick to point to the efforts of others, including of course his great friend Tim Sharp, the man behind many of our most successful fundraising initiatives.

Together, Colin and Tim formed the perfect partnership with Colin as the public face of the charity, wearing his trademark Prostate Project T Shirt with pride as he addressed meetings with the great and the good, all in the name of his wonderful charity.

We will miss Colin the founder, Colin the inspiration, and Colin the leader, but most of all we will miss Colin the friend, a great man that wore his greatness lightly and in doing so, inspiring so many of us to carry on his work giving men a better chance of beating prostate cancer.

Colin saved and prolonged the lives of many men, countless fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands and partners are alive today because of him.