Easington charity walkers top £5,000 after trek in honour of Les Kennedy

The 15 men took three days to walk from Berwick to Easington Colliery Nature Reserve via Beadnell, Amble and South Shields. So far they have raised over £5,200 with donations still being made to the charity Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis (APF).

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. It's not clear what causes it, but it usually affects people who are around 70 to 75 years old.

However, Les Kennedy of Easington was just 59 when he died on June 26, 2022.

The gruelling walk was also in honour of Les, diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in the early 2010s. He left behind his wife Christine - the couple were together for over 40 years - their children Louise, Michael and Laura and four grandchildren.

Laura's partner Lee Phillips and Les' former colleague Tommy Cuppitt were among the 15 walkers. The rest of the group did not know Les, but were still willing to make the effort in his memory and for a great cause.

The family are hugely appreciative of the gruelling efforts the lads have made.

Laura said: "They lads are exceptional. Phenomenal. They have the hearts of lions and some of them didn't even know my dad, but they still did it in his memory and to raise funds for this.

"From the whole family I'd like to say a big thank you, also to everyone around in the community. We had a really good community spirit on the day."

Photographs were taken of the collection of blisters accumulated during the walk, although the Echo has politely declined a generous offer to publish them.

Anyone wishing to donate a few pounds to the fundraiser can do so through Laura's JustGiving page.

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis is a growing community of patients, families, researchers and healthcare professionals striving to find a cure for pulmonary fibrosis, so that everyone affected by the disease has a better future.