Whalley man’s 192-mile hike raises a splendid £1,888

A Ribble Valley art gallery owner who took on a mammoth Coast-to-Coast walking challenge in memory of his much-loved father has raised almost £2,000 for the East Lancashire Hospice.
Chris McCabe proud to handover the cheque.Chris McCabe proud to handover the cheque.
Chris McCabe proud to handover the cheque.

Chris McCabe, owner of Art Décor in Whalley, completed the great challenge of a 192-mile hike and with support and help from his family and friends, helped raise a fantastic £1,888 for the deserving charity.

The gruelling 192-mile journey took 12 days to complete, starting in St. Bees in Cumbria and finishing in Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire.

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Despite his self-confessed lack of navigational skills, Chris relied on only a map, a compass and the original Wainwright handbook to complete the trail.

As part of his preparations, Chris had been walking around 80 miles a week since he began training in June 2017, spending an average of 24 hours a week on his feet.

Chris’s father, Bernard McCabe, was cared for by East Lancashire Hospice’s “Hospice at Home” service during the final weeks of his life, before he died in June 2017 after a six-week battle with prostate cancer. Since then, Chris has supported the charity wherever he can.

Grateful Chris said he wanted to do something to thank the charity. He explained: “When I first decided to do the Coast-to-Coast challenge, I was doing it to commemorate my father until a friend said to me, why not turn it into a fundraising event? East Lancashire Hospice was the first charity that came to mind. They looked after my dad really well and I wanted to support them.”

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Bernard was an avid walker during his lifetime, often making the journey from his house in Shadsworth, Blackburn to Leyland and back on foot, making the Coast-to-Coast fundraiser a perfect way to pay for Chris to remember him.

Chris had a target of raising £1,000 so is thrilled to have exceeded his fundraising goal.