Mother and Daughter Take on Ridgeway Walk in Memory of Grandad

Mother and daughter duo, Sue and Dani, are pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and tackling a number of new challenges this year, in memory of their dad and grandad, Jeff. He asked the pair to fundraise for Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care while the charity’s nurses were caring for him at the end of his life. 

Their first challenge will be to walk to entire Ridgeway in just three days, finishing on 7 June, which was Jeff’s birthday. For this challenge the pair have roped in other family members so they will be part of a group of six walking the 87-mile long trail. They will aim to tackle distances between 23-37 miles each day to cover the distance in the three days they have allowed for the challenge.

When they reach Ivinghoe Beacon they will be met by other family and friends to celebrate Jeff’s life with coffee and cake on what would have been his birthday. 

Jeff, from Tring, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May 2024. Towards the end of the year, his health deteriorated, and he was referred to Rennie Grove Peace. The Hospice at Home team cared for him in his home. As well as nurses, he was looked after by the carers of the charity’s Rapid Personalised Care Service.

Dani said: ‘Grandad loved the carers who looked after him. They were all so kind and caring. They went above and beyond. There was even one carer who was an incredible opera singer, and she would sing to him while she cared for him. He loved that. He liked opera music as it reminded him of his mother. This was really comforting for him at that stage of his life. 

‘Around this time, Grandad asked me and Mum to raise money for Rennie Grove Peace. It was because he was so grateful for the care he’d received, and he wanted to make sure they could be there for other families.’

While deciding on the best challenge to complete in his honour, Dani and Sue focused on Ivinghoe Beacon as it was Jeff’s favourite place. This inspired the pair to walk the whole of The Ridgeway, ending at his beloved Ivinghoe Beacon. 

Dani and Sue hope to raise £2,000 for Rennie Grove Peace and will also be taking part in Marathon Des Sables Peru, which they plan to complete in November 2025. To support their fundraisers, visit Dani’s Just Giving page.

For anybody who is inspired by Dani and Sue’s story to take on a similar challenge, Rennie Grove Peace has its annual Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge coming up in September. The popular walking fundraiser takes in part of the Ridgeway and ends at Ivinghoe Beacon.

Visit: renniegrovepeace.org/chilterns3peaks to find out more or sign up today.