A tribute to Colin Stokes MBE | News

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust is deeply saddened by the death of Colin Stokes MBE, who, over the years gave so much to Royal Surrey and to the care of its patients.

Following a highly successful career in business with Unilever, Colin devoted his retirement to the charitable sector, where he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others.

In 1998, following treatment for prostate cancer at Royal Surrey, Colin co-founded the Prostate Project Charity alongside his consultant surgeon Mr John Davies. He served as its Chair for 21 years, drawing on his professional and personal experience to help build the charity into one of the major prostate cancer charities in the country. Over the past 25 years, the charity has raised more than £10 million, significantly improving prostate cancer care and treatment.

Colin generously gave his time and energy to benefit urology patients at Royal Surrey, working for over a decade with Professor Stephen Langley to raise £3 million and securing matched NHS funding, to enable the opening of Royal Surrey’s Stokes Centre for Urology in 2019. This state-of-the-art facility received a Royal opening and went on to win the RICS Healthcare Building of the Year Award in 2020, standing as a fitting tribute to Colin’s vision and dedication.

Colin more recently supported the launch of the Prostate Project’s ‘Man Van’ in 2023, a mobile prostate cancer testing clinic designed to improve access and promote early detection for men across the community.

There is no doubt that Colin’s tireless fundraising, advocacy, and support played a pivotal role in enabling the trust to become a recognised Centre of Excellence in urological care.

Colin’s legacy will continue to benefit patients, families, clinicians, and researchers for generations to come. He will be remembered with deep respect, admiration, and gratitude and his name lives on at Royal Surrey’s Stokes Centre for Urology.