A father who lost his son to cancer will be ‘Singing to the Shoppers’ at Morrisons stores across Cornwall to raise charity funds on World Cancer Day.

Geoff Davis, from Falmouth, will be supporting CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading support charity for young cancer patients.

CLIC Sargent was there for Geoff and his wife Judie at the worst of times, when their two-year-old son Mikey died from cancer more than 40 years ago.

Geoff said: “We came home from Great Ormond Street Hospital a broken couple.

“I was in sales when this happened and doing very well. Suddenly all of that means nothing when your child is dying of cancer.”

“We were in a desperate situation but ‘Sargent Cancer Care for Children’ as CLIC Sargent was known at the time, was there to help us.

"They gave us some financial help, support and understanding and we have never forgotten their kindness. Mikey was just two years and 11 months when we lost him.”

Starting at Morrisons in Penzance on Tuesday, Geoff will then sing at Morrisons stores in Redruth, Bude, Plymouth, and Newquay, before reaching Liskeard on World Cancer Day Monday, February 4.

During the past 16 months, the 71-year-old has raised more than £42,000 for CLIC Sargent by singing at more than 60 superstores across the south of England.

Almost all of these have been Morrisons, whose staff chose CLIC Sargent as their charity partner.

It’s his way of thanking CLIC Sargent for their support when Mikey died from disseminated neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer which mainly affects children, in 1975.

During those testing months of Mikey’s suffering Geoff became a convinced Christian and became a vicar, firstly in Cornwall and then Kent, until retirement.

He came home to Cornwall and decided he would like to raise funds for Sargent Cancer Care for Children, which has since merged with CLIC (Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood) to become CLIC Sargent.

“I am utterly staggered that £42,000 has so far been given and can only give thanks to God for prompting so many dear people to give so generously and to the stores who have so kindly invited me in to ‘Sing to the Shoppers’.”

Singing for more than six hours a day, Geoff reckons he will get through more than 100 songs in total.

His repertoire ranges from 60s classics by Elvis to Ed Sheeran’s latest numbers.

Geoff’s full itinerary for his World Cancer Day tour is:

• Tuesday 29 January – Penzance

• Thursday 31 January – Redruth

• Friday 1 February – Bude

• Saturday 2 February – Plymouth

• Sunday 3 February – Newquay

• Monday 4 February – Liskeard

Geoff’s tour is just one of the ways that Morrisons is supporting World Cancer Day.

Customers will be able to snap up “Bands Against Cancer” for a suggested donation of £2 and colleagues will also be raising cash for CLIC Sargent in a wide variety of other ways.

Joseph Clark-Bland, charity specialist at Morrisons said: “Geoff has been a huge hit with shoppers wherever he has performed and their generosity in supporting CLIC Sargent has been incredible. We look forward to welcoming him once more as he sings to mark World Cancer Day.”

This World Cancer Day, CLIC Sargent is highlighting how young cancer patients and their families have to face the financial and emotional burden of cancer coming back.

Cancer costs families an average of £600 a month during treatment. These costs hit even harder for families going through cancer more than once.

To find out more, visit www.clicsargent.org.uk.