Mum raises £130k from ‘Walk of Love’ in memory of her daughter
Howard Lake | 20 February 2017 | News
Natalia Spencer has raised £130,000 for Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, The Grand Appeal, by walking around the coast of Great Britain in memory of her daughter.
She completed her ‘Walk of Love‘ this month at Durdle Door in Dorset, having taken 305 days to walk 6,000 miles. This was the last beach she and her daughter visited together.
He five-year-old daughter Elizabeth died from a rare illness in December 2015 and was treated at Bristol Children’s Hospital. was taken ill a month earlier with a relatively common virus which triggered an autoimmune condition known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). This rare condition caused Elizabeth’s body to go into septic shock, shutting down her major organs and cutting off the blood supply to her limbs.
Natalia Spencer’s backpack invited support around the country.
Spencer’s original fundraising target was £100,000 for The Grand Appeal but this was surpassed as her walk received national coverage and support. She has been given free accommodation throughout her walk, provided by over 250 families, B%Bs and hotels, together with hot meals, sandwiches and drinks.
Over 10,000 people are following her Facebook page about the walk and campaign. She has been joined at various stages by a whole host of supporters, many of whom have also experienced the loss of a child.
She also won the Endurance Fundraiser of the Year award at the JustGiving Awards 2016.
Natalia Spencer wins Endurance Fundraiser of the Year at the JustGiving Awards 2016.
Suzanne Maverick, fundraising manager, The Grand Appeal, said:
“We are so proud of Natalia and the extraordinary 6,000 mile journey she has undertaken in Elizabeth’s memory. With £130,000 raised to date, we’d like to offer our deepest thanks to the thousands of people who has donated and helped Natalia reach this incredible amount. The money will buy life-saving equipment at Bristol Children’s Hospital and help protect other parents from the heartache Natalia endures.”
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.