Emmerdale and Casualty star to stop at Sussex cafés this weekend during epic motorbike challenge

Actor Charles Dale is set to visit: The Custom Cafe, Barnhorn Road A259, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 4QR; Horam Emporium, High Street, Horam, Heathfield, TN21 0ER; Billy’s On The Road, Stane Street, Billingshurst, RH14 9AE; and Whiteways Takeaway Kiosk-Bury Hill, Houghton, Arundel, BN18 9FD on Saturday, May 31.

He will be at Fuel Stop Cafe, A27 Westbound, Chichester, PO20 1QH on Sunday, June 1.

Charles’ friend Shaun died from a brain injury so Dale is setting off on a month-long fundraising motorcycle ride across England and Wales. He will visit 100 motorcycle cafes in 30 days as part of ‘Shaun’s TT 100’ to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research and Headway – the brain injury association.

Charles said: “Just over six months ago one of my oldest and best friends suffered a catastrophic brain injury because of what can only be described as a ‘silly’ household accident – he slipped on the stairs. Unfortunately for Shaun this resulted in a bleed on the brain and just over a week later his family had to make the most difficult decision ever, to withdraw life support. Shaun died shortly after; he was 63.

“When you get to my age you are unfortunately no stranger to death, but losing loved ones to old age or illness, though no less painful, has always sort of made sense to me. This however was different, I couldn’t make sense of it. Shaun slipped on the stairs, something we’ve all done, and yet my lovely, always smiling friend of over 40 years, was gone. I had to do something, so after talking with his family, ‘Shaun’s TT 100’ was born.”

Charles is well known for playing Big Mac in the BBC hospital drama Casualty, and more recently starring in Emmerdale.

He will be joined by famous faces along the way and is an Ambassador for Brain Tumour Research. Charles was a close friend of Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey, whose son Carl died of a brain tumour, and he was acquainted with writer, poet and musician Benjamin Zephaniah, who also died of a brain tumour in 2023. Charles is also friends with actor and Ambassador Craig Russell who underwent surgery to remove a meningioma two years ago.

Charles said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, to date, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2022. This must change! Enough is enough.”

Russell Marriott, Director of Income Generation and Development at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are enormously grateful to Charles for his dedication in taking on this challenge to shine a light on Brain Tumour Research and Headway – two charities fighting for those affected by brain tumours and brain injuries.”

Jen Murgatroyd, Director of Fundraising of Headway, said: “We’re proud to join Brain Tumour Research in celebrating Charles’ remarkable journey.”

Visit givestar.io/gs/charles-dale--shauns-tt-one-hundred to find out more about the challenge or donate.