A GROUP of friends has set off to walk 400 miles in 40 days in memory of a much-loved relative and colleague.

Dr Geoff Auckland, who played a key role in the development of Liskeard’s Oak Tree Surgery, also served his community as a governor at the local secondary school and as a parish councillor. He died in 2017.

Dr Auckland had very much enjoyed hiking, and it was a pastime he shared with his friends and family. Now they’ve taken on a challenge to walk from London to Liskeard to raise funds both for Macmillan Cancer Support, and towards improvements to the waiting room at the Oak Tree Surgery.

On the second day of the walk, there was a gathering at Guys Hospital to mark the official “start”.

“This was where Geoff trained to be a doctor before moving to Liskeard to serve the community as a GP,” said friend and former headteacher at Liskeard School and Community College Alan Sedgley.

“It was also where Geoff met Sabby, who was training to be a nurse.”

From there, the group used the Thames Path for 10 days, walking through Windsor, Henley and Marlow and finishing at Streatley, and marking Dr Auckland’s birthday with a special meal along the way.

Break

Now, 100 miles in, there’ll be a break before the group laces up their boots again in September to tackle the bulk of the trek through Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. They’re aiming to finish at the Oak Tree Surgery on October 22.

A detailed plan for the walk has been devised, and anyone interested is welcome to join future stages, whether for a few yards, a lunch, a day or more, says Alan – he can be contacted at [email protected]

“Geoff and Sabby, Chris and I had children in the same year group at school, so our families got to know each other socially,” said Alan.

“When I left the school and walked around Cornwall, Geoff joined in on several days. This led to a series of walking holidays in which, with other friends, we completed a number of national trails.

“Facing a developing cancer, Geoff went through two major operations, using the ‘next’ walk as a target in his convalescence. Sadly, in November 2017, Geoff lost his battle with cancer. Subsequently, an idea emerged to honour Geoff by means of a walk and to take this as an opportunity to raise money for relevant charities.”