Phil is planning to walk 250 miles this June in memory of his mother, and in support of St Barnabas, who provided care for her at home in her final days.
To remember her life and raise vital funds for the hospice, Phil is embarking on a 250-mile sponsored walk from June’s birthplace on the banks of the River Tees in Middlesbrough, winding his way through her favourite places in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, to Rutland Water, where her ashes will rest alongside her husband Peter’s.
June met her husband, Peter, while on holiday in Jersey in the early 1950s. The couple began married life in London, where they had two sons, Mark and Phil, before moving to their ‘forever’ home in Northorpe, near Bourne in south Lincolnshire.
In later years, Phil and his wife Sam cared for June as her Alzheimer’s progressed. In the final weeks of her life, they reached out for additional care and support from St Barnabas.
In February 2025, June died, aged 88, at home where she had lived happily for 55 years and where she had always wanted to be at the end of her life, following a short illness complicated by Alzheimer’s.
Phil says: “She was able to die in the place she loved, because of the support of the Hospice at Home nurses. The support we received from Emily was a life changer for me and my family.
“The St Barnabas team are wonderful, kind and caring. They held mum’s hand (and ours on occasion), comforted her, and expertly guided all of us through the last weeks of her life – or as we came to call them, her ‘last few steps’. We simply could not have done it without them. They were amazing.”
The route will pass Grove Hill, where June lived until her marriage; Rutland Water, a favourite spot for June and Peter in their later years; and St Barnabas’ Inpatient Unit in Lincoln.
Phil added: “I’ll be carrying Mum’s ashes with me, so this will really be June’s last journey through the lands she loved, laughed and lived in for 88 years.
“June’s last few steps is going to be a truly wonderful and meaningful experience supporting St Barnabas, who in turn support people like June at the end of their journeys, helping them stay in the place they feel safest and happiest.
“I’ll be visiting many of the spots that June loved. It’ll take me two weeks, but I’ll be supported all the way by my wife Sam, family, friends, and Frankie the dog.”
Phil’s challenge will begin in Middlesbrough on the 6th of June and is planned to finish at Rutland Water on the 21st of June – June’s birthday. Anyone wishing to support him and donate to St Barnabas can do so on his JustGiving page.