A SEVEN-year-old boy will be walking in memory of his mum in a new fundraising event being launched by St Helena Hospice.

Charlie Brunton, from West Mersea, will be with his dad, Andy, and sister, Sophie-Leigh as they embark on the Walk of Memories on July 7.

Charlie’s mum Sally was just 42 when she died at the hospice in January 2017 following breast and brain cancer.

Andy said: “There are never any sad memories of the hospice for Charlie; always happy memories.Charlie was three at the time and would love playing in the hospice garden.

“He was never scared about going; his face just lit up, he was excited.

“He’d spend a few minutes with his mum then he’d go off to play.”

Every month Charlie and Andy go to the hospice’s Starbursts grief programme.

Andy said: “He goes off to make things with the other children, and the parents sit together and we just talk openly about everything; our feelings, what we’ve gone through. “It’s just so nice to sit and listen to other people that have gone through all that too, suffered the way you’ve suffered. And you can just talk openly. No one is questioning you or judging you. I really benefit from it.

“The help is forever ongoing and always helpful. It’s still helpful now without a doubt.

“I’ll take any help I can from the St Helena, it’s always good and always the right sort of help. If I was ever to ask for something, it would be there.”

The Walk of Memories will see people of all ages walk either a mile or five miles in a circular route around West Mersea starting and finishing near the Willoughby car park.

The event will begin with a memory service on the beach.

For those who would rather not attend the service, there will be plenty of family friendly activities to keep them occupied until the walk begins.

Everyone who signs up to will be given a windmill which they can personalise with a message or drawing to their loved ones.

There will be the opportunity to plant the windmills in the sand at the end of the service and they will then be available to collect it at the end of the walk if they wish.

St Helena will also be offering the option to take the windmills to the hospice to display in the garden for a week after the event.

Jessica Dellow, events and challenges fundraising manager, said: “This is our first event to be held in Mersea and it’s a stunning location for the walk which will pass through the beautiful seaside and countryside.

“We are asking everyone who takes part to raise as much as they can in donations to St Helena to help us continue to provide care and support to local people across north Essex facing incurable illness and bereavement.”

Unfortunately, the route is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

Discounted entry will be available for early birds signed up before 4pm on April 12.

Entry is £2.50 per child with the early bird or £3.50 thereafter and £5 per adult with the early bird and £8 thereafter, until entries close on July 4. To sign up, visit sthelena.org.uk/walkofmemories.