Man completes 3,700-mile UK walk in memory of teenager, raises more than £15,000

A man from Gloucestershire completed a 3,714-mile (5,977 km) walk around the UK on 6 September, concluding a two-year effort to raise money for The Evie Dove Foundation in memory of a 13-year-old girl who died after a brain tumour diagnosis.

Dickie Mackness, from Lower Swell near Stow-on-the-Wold, crossed the finish line at The Big Coastal Walk in Hythe, Kent, an annual event hosted by the charity. He said the moment was "deeply emotional" and described the journey as being "about courage, kindness, and community. Walking in Evie's name has been an honour."

Mackness traversed England's south coast, trekked across Wales and walked the length of Hadrian's Wall as part of the route. He began the walk two years earlier and relied on donations collected through an online fundraising page and contributions from strangers he met along the way. The campaign raised more than £15,000 for the foundation.

The Evie Dove Foundation was set up by Evie Dove's parents after her death in 2022. The charity uses donations to provide specialist training for children's healthcare professionals to improve outcomes for children with serious and long-term illnesses. Since launching, it has supported more than 180 healthcare workers across the UK.

Kelly Terranova, the foundation's marketing manager, praised Mackness's efforts, saying the charity was "in awe" of him. "His determination and resilience have been nothing short of inspiring, and his efforts have made a huge difference to the foundation," she said.

The walk was not without serious challenges. Mackness suffered a concussion after a fall from a cliff edge, became marooned on the Isle of Skye and sustained an Achilles tendon injury, according to accounts of the journey. Throughout the trek he wore pink, Evie Dove's favourite colour. At times he used humour to keep spirits high, joking previously that he would finish "even if it's on my mother-in-law's mobility scooter."

Organisers of The Big Coastal Walk said Mackness's finish at the event brought renewed attention to the foundation's work and its aim of improving paediatric care through targeted training. The foundation intends the funds to pay for specialist courses and resources that can help healthcare staff manage complex conditions in children.

Mackness's walk highlights a broader trend of long-distance fundraisers drawing public support for health-related causes. Donations raised from individual efforts such as his supplement other sources of funding for charities that focus on training and improving clinical outcomes for vulnerable patient groups.

The Evie Dove Foundation has signalled plans to continue its training programmes and expand support to more healthcare professionals as it builds on funds raised by Mackness and other donors. Mackness said he hoped his efforts would help maintain momentum for the charity's work and keep Evie's memory at the centre of its mission.

Mackness credited the communities he passed through for sustaining him on the route and said he was proud to have played a part in helping the foundation continue its work. The foundation said the funds raised would be directed to specific training initiatives and that further announcements about programme allocations would be made in due course.