Determined brothers take on 55-mile walk to admire bravery of those with cancer

Two brothers from Northampton recently completed a 55-mile sponsored walk in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Pete and Tim Burditt began the walk across four days last Monday (May 22), six years on from Pete’s first sponsored walk for Macmillan after Tim recovered from kidney cancer.

Having raised more than £1,200 for walking 74 miles over four days those years ago, the brothers had ambitious hopes for this fundraiser.

The main reason the pair took on the walk was to honour a teaching assistant at All Saints School, where Pete is the head of governors.

The married mother of two young daughters is in recovery from cervical cancer surgery, and Pete and Tim took on this challenge with her at the forefront of their minds.

Pete said: “I said to her that as long as everything was okay after her treatment, I’d do something to recognise her courage.

“Having known many people who have undergone treatment after cancer diagnosis, it’s the aftermath that seems to be the difficulty.

“You can get through the treatment but the psychological battle can be ongoing for a while.”

Pete described Macmillan as doing a “great job”, which is why he has fundraised for them on many occasions to support their vital work.

“We wanted to show how much we admire the bravery of people who cope with cancer,” Pete added. “We want them to know after they’ve rung the bell, people are still there to support them.”

Though Pete knew he and Tim would have to push through difficult moments over the four-day walk, they continued to think of the teaching assistant and Macmillan to keep them going.

“When it’s hard, I’ll think of you,” Pete told the teaching assistant. “Thinking about how she has coped will make the hard work seem small in comparison.”

On the first day (May 22), the pair walked from Brampton to Ecton. The next day they travelled from Ecton to Hartwell, followed by Hartwell to Bugbrooke last Wednesday (May 24).

On the last day (May 25), they walked the final leg from Bugbrooke back to Brampton – where they were met by the students at All Saints School to celebrate the end, and they too were walking the school grounds to raise money for Macmillan.

When Pete and Tim arrived at the school to reveal the final fundraising total, they received a big hug from the teaching assistant.

The pair were also met by an “unexpected” big cheer and round of applause, as half of the school came together to greet them.

Pete said: “The kids’ energy was absolutely brilliant and geed us up. The staff have also been incredibly supportive.”

At the time of writing, more than £1,400 has been raised and that is enough to facilitate the work of a Macmillan nurse for a fortnight.

“It’s absolutely brilliant,” said Pete on the fundraising total. “Everyone has pulled together.”

Each year, All Saints School hosts a fundraising event for Macmillan Cancer Support – typically a coffee morning – but Pete says it was nice to do something different this time around.

Pete and Tim’s online fundraising page is still open to donations and you can visit it here.