A DERBY head teacher plans to avoid drinking any alcohol for a whole month to raise money for charity in memory of his father.
Starting today, Simon Emsley will join thousands of people across Derbyshire taking part in the national Go Sober for October campaign.
Participants will give up booze for 31 days and, at the same time, raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Mr Emsley, head teacher of Lakeside Community Primary School, in Alvaston, said he wanted to get involved after his dad, Ken, died from lung cancer in 1998.
He said: "Ever since my dad died, I always tried to support cancer charities.
"Cancer has also touched most, if not all the lives, of students and teachers at the school at some point and, if we're not fund-raising for the school itself, we'll try to do things for cancer charities.
"I wouldn't say I drink a lot but, like many people, I enjoy a beer socially at the weekends. It certainly won't do any harm to take part in this campaign and it'll hopefully do a lot of good for Macmillan."
People who want to take part in the Go Sober for October campaign can register at www.gosober.org.uk.
Visitors to the website can also sponsor those participating or make a general donation to Macmillan. To support Mr Emsley, search for his name on the website.
At the same time, thousands of people across the county will also be taking part in Stoptober – a national campaign encouraging people to give up smoking during October.
Last year, 250,000 smokers nationally completed the challenge of not smoking for 28 days.
Experts say those who go without a cigarette for this length of time are five times more likely to give up permanently.
Derbyshire County Council estimates there are almost 114,000 smokers in the county.
Councillor Dave Allen, cabinet member for health and communities, said: "It's vital that, when someone has made the decision to give up smoking, they have all the support they need.
"It's not an easy thing to do, so the help, support and advice that the Derbyshire County Stop Smoking Service can give is all the more important in giving people everything they need to break the habit for good."
For more information about the Derbyshire County Stop Smoking Service, call 0800 0852299 or 01246 515153, text EASY to 80800 or visit www.derbyshirecountystopsmoking service.nhs.uk.
Two more campaigns also due to start soon are Movember – which sees men grow moustaches in November to raise money for men's health charities – and Decembeard, where men grow beards in December in a fund-raising drive for charity Beating Bowel Cancer.
