I'm walking from Bristol to London, then taking on Walk the Parks!
Hi, my name is Matt and a few years ago, I had the privilege of changing someone's life by donating one of my kidneys to a stranger who needed it far more than I did.
That experience gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by people living with kidney disease and the impact it has not only on patients, but also on their families and loved ones. Since then, I have continued to hear inspiring and humbling stories from those affected, which has strengthened my commitment to raising awareness and supporting this cause however I can.
That's why I'm fundraising for Kidney Care UK, the leading charity providing support to people living with kidney disease across the UK. Millions of people are affected by kidney disease, and far too many face their journey feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Kidney Care UK is there to ensure they don't have to face it alone, offering practical, emotional and financial support when it is needed most.
To help raise funds, I'll be taking on a huge challenge: walking 264 km (164 miles) from Bristol to London over seven days, starting on Saturday 5 September, finishing with a 10-mile route through London's beautiful Royal Parks on Saturday 12 September.
Every mile I walk will be in support of the vital services Kidney Care UK provides, including counselling, patient grants, expert advice and advocacy for those affected by kidney disease.
If you are able to donate, no matter the amount, I would be incredibly grateful. Your support will help ensure that people living with kidney disease receive the care, guidance and assistance they need, when they need it most.
Please support my challenge and help make a difference. Thank you for your generosity.
My achievements
Has Fundraising Page
Added profile picture
Self Donated
Shared page
Raised £50
Raised £150
Fundraising Target 50%
Reached Goal
My updates
Walk the Parks Challenge
Saturday 12th Sep
Following my arrival in central London yesterday afternoon, today’s walk felt more like a celebration than a challenge;
I arrived in Hyde Park just before 10am, giving me plenty of time to do some warm-up stretches, take in the sights and soak up the atmosphere before the event got underway.
At around 10:30, I met up with my fellow walkers and members of Kidney Care UK’s fundraising team. After introducing ourselves, we set off a little before 11am.
We headed east out of Hyde Park, passing under Wellington Arch before entering The Green Park - the first of the four Royal Parks on today’s route.
From there, we completed a loop around St James’s Park before heading back through The Green Park, walking alongside Buckingham Palace and then re-entering Hyde Park.
Our route through Hyde Park took us alongside the Serpentine and into Kensington Gardens, where we circled the Round Pond near Kensington Palace. We then headed north-east, eventually exiting the park at Marble Arch.
Next, we made our way to The Regent’s Park via Marylebone, passing Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum along the way. Inside the park, we walked past, and over, the boating lake before making our way around the Inner Circle.
After leaving The Regent’s Park, we headed back towards Hyde Park via Oxford Street, which was predictably busy with Saturday shoppers!
Back in Hyde Park, I was presented with my finisher’s medal by the Kidney Care UK team before we said our goodbyes.
What an incredible week it’s been. It seems like a lifetime ago that I set off from Bristol city centre, and I still can’t quite believe that I’ll be back in the office as normal in just a couple of days!
A huge thank you once again to everyone who has supported me with donations, messages and encouragement throughout the week. It genuinely means so much.
A very special thank you to my parents, who have been the best support crew I could have asked for - travelling ahead of me with their caravan, giving me somewhere to stay each evening and seeing me off every morning.
And an extra thank you to my colleagues, who surprised me in Newbury on Day Four and joined me for part of the walk that day. It was a fantastic surprise and made a tough, wet day memorable and much more bearable!
Grand total distance walked: 274.33 km (170.46 miles)
I’ve been told that donations on my fundraising page will remain open for a few more weeks, so there’s still time to donate if you’d like to support Kidney Care UK and the work they do.
I’ll also be applying for my employer, Aviva, to match my fundraising, up to £1,000.
Thank you all again for being part of this incredible journey! ❤️
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Day 7, The Final Walk - Kingston upon Thames to Central London
Friday 11th Sep
I decided to start early today, as my pace has certainly slowed over the past week (my Apple Watch politely pointed this out yesterday!) and I wanted to reach my final destination before midday.
After leaving Kingston upon Thames, I headed north-east through Richmond Park, where I had to deviate from the official paths a few times to make way for the stags enjoying their breakfast along the route!
After exiting the park through its north-east corner, I continued my journey via A roads and side streets, gradually making my way towards the Thames. As I entered Wandsworth, I was greeted by a friendly cat sitting on a garden wall, which immediately made me think of Dick Whittington and his own journey to the capital.
I also passed the Oval in Kennington before arriving at Tower Bridge. Crossing the Thames at this point wasn’t the most direct route, but when planning my journey, I wanted the symbolism of crossing such an iconic London landmark.
I finished my challenge at Aviva’s head office on Fenchurch Street, where I was met by Walmart Ahmed, Claims Chief Operating Officer, who kindly showed me around the site.
This morning’s walk was 24km and took four hours and 17 minutes.
Total distance walked from Bristol city centre to central London: 256.07km (159.11 miles).
Just the Walk the Parks event around London’s Royal Parks to go tomorrow!
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Day 6, Walk 2 - Chertsey to Kingston upon Thames
Thursday 10th Sep
After an extended lunch break, during which I tended to my many blisters and various leg complaints, I set off again, this time heading due east.
This afternoon, I followed the Thames a little more, as well as walking through parks in Sunbury-on-Thames and Teddington, which contained cows and deer respectively.
I eventually crossed the river before arriving in Kingston upon Thames, where I called it a day.
I walked just shy of 20km this afternoon, taking around three and three-quarter hours.
Total distance walked so far: 232.05km (144.19 miles)
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Day 6, Walk 1 - Windsor to Chertsey
Thursday 10th Sep
I set out from Windsor just before 8am this morning and continued south-east towards Chertsey.
My route took me across fields, through woodland and along A-roads. During this leg, I passed through Runnymede, the site where the Magna Carta was sealed.
I also walked alongside the Thames for the first time in the challenge — although certainly not the last! I felt like I’d reached a significant milestone when I crossed a footbridge over the M25, which I believe meant I was officially in Greater London.
After walking alongside Thorpe Park for its entire length (I couldn’t find a way to sneak in and have a go on the rides), I arrived in Chertsey, where I stopped for some lunch.
This morning’s walk was 17km and took a little over three hours.
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Day 5, Walk 2 - Maidenhead to Windsor
Wednesday 9th Sep
After taking almost an hour for lunch (I felt I could afford to take my time on a shorter day) I set off again towards Windsor, largely following the A308.
The road took me south-east towards the centre of Windsor. Unfortunately, my planned route didn’t take me past Windsor Castle, Eton College or Legoland. And, looking at tomorrow’s route, I don’t think I’ll be walking that way then either!
This afternoon’s walk was just under 9km and took me a little under an hour and a half to complete.
That brings today’s total to around 25km, and my overall distance so far to: 195.20km (121.29 miles)
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Day 5, Walk 1 - Wargrave to Maidenhead
Wednesday 9th Sep
After yesterday’s longest day of the challenge so far, I made sure Day Five would be a shorter one. That meant I could enjoy a slightly later start, so I set off from Wargrave just after 8:30 this morning.
My route took me along country lanes, across fields and through the village of Knowl Hill, before passing underneath the A404(M) overpass.
From there, I continued towards Maidenhead, mainly using minor roads, before stopping for lunch in Braywick Park.
This morning’s stretch was 16km and took me just under three hours.
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Day 4, Walk 2 - Theale to Wargrave
Tuesday 8th Sep
After having a coffee and some lunch in Theale, Gerald and I headed back to the canal and continued towards Reading.
We stayed on the towpath for about an hour before rejoining the A4 on the outskirts of Reading. It turns out that the Kennet and Avon Canal ends there! The canal begins at Bristol’s Floating Harbour, which means I’ve now walked its entire length - albeit not directly alongside it for the whole journey.
In Reading, Gerald and I parted ways. As he made his way back to his car and then on to Bristol, I continued towards Wargrave, where I eventually called it a day.
This second leg covered a further 20.5km and took me just under three hours and 45 minutes.
Total distance covered after four days: 168.46km (104.68 miles).
Four days in, I’ve now broken the 100-mile mark — and I’m officially more than halfway to London!
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Day 4, Walk 1 - Newbury to Theale
Tuesday 8th Sep
Day four was always going to be a significant one for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, it was the day I’d hopefully pass the halfway point on my journey to London.
Secondly, it was the first day where rain was forecast for the entire day - it was going to happen eventually!
However, I wasn’t prepared for what happened just after I left Newbury at around 7:45 this morning:
A little over ten minutes into my walk, I was pleasantly surprised by four of my colleagues from the Bristol office! Tina, Becky, Rich and Gerald had all travelled to Reading yesterday evening before taking the train to meet me in Newbury this morning. They had chosen to use one of their Aviva volunteering days to support me on my challenge, which was a fantastic surprise!
We continued along the canal path before joining the Bath Road (A4), then eventually ventured across country via public footpaths and across fields.
After a few hours of walking, we rejoined the towpath following another brief stint along the A4. We arrived into Theale around lunchtime, where I said goodbye to Tina, Becky and Rich, who caught a train back to Reading from Theale station.
Our walk together this morning took just over five hours and covered slightly more than 24km — a brilliant way to start what was always going to be a memorable day.
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Day 3, Walk 2 - Froxfield to Newbury
Monday 7th Sep
After my break, I briefly rejoined the canal towpath before leaving it again to walk through the town of Hungerford.
Once through Hungerford, I was back on the towpath for the next 15km, following the canal all the way into Newbury. After finishing the last two days in Wiltshire, I've now crossed into West Berkshire.
This afternoon's leg covered just under 19.5km and took around three and a half hours to complete. By the end of the day, another 41km had been added to the total, bringing me one step closer to London.
Total distance covered after three days: 123.79km (76.92 miles)
Day 3, Walk 1 - Pewsey to Froxfield
Monday 7th Sep
I had a slightly later start this morning, setting off at 7:30am for the first time on the walk. The extra half hour was possible because I didn't have a deadline to finish by today. On Saturday, I needed to make it back in time to watch the Bristol Bears game, and yesterday we had a table booked for a pub meal.
I was particularly looking forward to day three, as today's route was the first section of the challenge that I hadn't walked before. I'd completed practice walks for the first two days as part of my training, so everything up to this point had been relatively familiar. The downside is that, from now on, I'll be much more reliant on my map, which inevitably slows the pace a little.
After leaving Pewsey, I passed through the villages of Milton Lilbourne, Easton Royal and Burbage, walking across open moorland, fields and public footpaths.
Eventually, I made it back to the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath, although not before a slight detour! I found myself trapped in a field after a farmer had installed an electric fence across a public right of way. See if you can spot the almost perfect rectangle on this morning's route map. That's me trying to find a way out of the field!
Following the towpath took me to the village of Froxfield, where I stopped for lunch. By that point, I'd been walking for just under four hours and had covered a little over 21.5km.
Day 2, Walk 2 - Devizes to Pewsey
Sunday 6th Sep
After lunch, my route out of Devizes took me away from the canal towpath for a while, following public footpaths, quiet country roads and even a few fields along the way.
I rejoined the Kennet and Avon Canal several times during the afternoon, taking advantage of the more accessible stretches before eventually finishing the day in the picturesque village of Pewsey. The afternoon leg covered exactly 18km and took just over three hours to complete.
Total distance covered after two days: 82.67km (51.37 miles).
Day 2, Walk 1 - Bradford-on-Avon to Devizes
Sunday 6th Sep
Another early start today, as I set out from Bradford-on-Avon just after 7am. Before long, I had rejoined the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath at the same spot where I left it yesterday.
The route continued eastwards along a largely flat stretch until I reached the impressive Caen Hill Locks. This remarkable flight of 16 locks climbs a 1-in-44 gradient over two miles and, so far, has been the steepest section of the challenge.
After reaching the summit, I arrived on the outskirts of Devizes, where I stopped for a well-earned lunch break. By that point, I had covered just over 23km in less than four hours, making for another strong start to the day.
Day 1, Walk 2 - Bath to Bradford-on-Avon
Saturday 5th Sep
After lunch, I walked through Bath city centre before eventually joining the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath.
The towpath follows a winding route of just over 17km to Bradford-on-Avon, where I finished my first day of walking. This section of the journey took just under three hours to complete.
Day 1, Walk 1 - Bristol to Bath
Saturday 5th Sep
The day started just after 7am as I set off from my company’s central Bristol office in Redcliffe. After a short walk through St Philips, I joined the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, part of National Cycle Route 4.
Following the former railway line for around 25km, the route took me all the way into Bath city centre, where I stopped for a well-earned lunch. This first leg was the longest of the entire challenge and took just under four hours to complete.
It starts tomorrow!
Friday 4th Sep
Evening everyone,
Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far. I'm genuinely blown away that the original £1,000 target has been reached before I've taken my first step, and even more amazed that we're now approaching double that amount!
The messages of support and personal stories you've shared have meant so much to me. They'll definitely be what keeps me going when the inevitable blisters, aches and sore feet start to make themselves known.
For those who've been wondering about the plan, I’m aiming to start walking between 7am and 8am each morning. The goal is to cover around four hours before stopping for lunch, followed by another three hours or so in the afternoon, hopefully finishing before 5pm each day.
I’ll post an update here at the end of each day, sharing my progress, the routes and distances covered, and hopefully a few photos from along the way.
Thank you again for all your support, generosity and encouragement. It really does mean a lot, and I’m looking forward to catching up with many of you once the challenge is complete.
Matt
Thank you to my donors
£265.88
M & D
£55.88
Richard & Linda Holder
Very impressed with your plans. Delighted to sponsor you.
£55.88
Auntie Rose And John
You are amazing
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Steve Bridger
So inspirational. Best of luck
£55.28
Katie Mcalone
Good luck Matt. What a fantastic cause. I’m sure you’ll find it a walk in the park after all that training you’ve done.
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Matt Allen
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Maureen Smyth
Legend! 😍
£50
Claire Jackson
Good luck bro, I am very proud of you! x
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Kate Brown
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Tina Langson
Matt you continue to amaze me and it is a privilege that I get to work with you everyday. I know how much the charity means to you and that you will smash this challenge. Well done. Keep being Awesome. T x
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Caroline Richards
Good luck Matt!
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Sylvia Chapman
Good luck Matt A very worthy cause
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Vera And Ron Parker
Go for it Matt and beware of swans
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Netta Mcalone
Wishing you the best of luck.
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Waqar Ahmed
£50
James & Tricia
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Clare Burdett
Goodluck Matt I’m sure your smash it 😊 x
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Hannah Trott
Good Luck Matt! I'm sure you'll do amazing!
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Ger And Kirsty
All best of luck mate! You’re going to smash it! Everyone is routing for you 🤜
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Fee Smyth
You’ve got this, Matt! Very proud.
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Claire Varley
What an incredible challenge to take on Matt! Also a very worthy cause, I have a friend whose little boy is awaiting a new kidney. The support the family have had from kidney care uk has been amazing! All the best Matt 😊 🏃🏼
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Caroline Marrows
Good luck Matt - I have a great recommendation for blister tape if you need it!
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Caroline
I have no doubt that you will complete this challenge using the inner courage & strength that you have already demonstrated. Well done, you're a star!
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Rebecca Chivers
Best of luck Matalan. You are an inspiration and what you have done and are doing for this cause is amazing. Bex xx
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Syinthu
Amazing effort Matt, best of luck!
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Marc Wheeler
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Ben Talbot
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Sophia Foroshani
Good luck Matt! An incredible challenge and I’m sure you’re going to do amazing.
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Nicholas Kell
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Sarah Parkins
I’m in awe at your selflessness and commitment to a great cause ! You’re amazing !
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Mark Howard
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Jonathan Stringer
Good work Matt!
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Aimee Selman
Finzels to celebrate after!
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Emma Michalak
What an incredible challenge for such an important cause. You’re amazing, Matt! Cheering you on every step of the way. Em x
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Matt & Jord
Good luck, Matt!! Please send all of the cow photos!
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Simon Caygill
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Frankie Adams
Good luck Matt! Looking forward to hearing all about it.
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Kate Blythman
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Russell Warner
Great cause Matt, good luck!
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Leanne Hacker
Best of Luck! You’re an inspiration to all!
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Lyndon Weeks
Awesome effort Matt
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Chris Dowling
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David Devine
Good work Matt. Up the Bears
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Huw & Ruth
Good Luck Matt
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Jean Talbot
Matt, you are an inspiration.
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Laura Miles
Amazing cause Matt. Touching story! You will smash it!!! xx
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Amrez Choudry
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Marcia
Well done Matt
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Sharon Edgeworth
Well done Matt and huge congratulations on your achievement. A cause very close to my heart, my youngest daughter has CKD and will need a kidney transplant at some point in her life. Thank you for doing this, for raising awareness and funds for a very worthy cause.
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Lucy Gomersall
Well done Matt xx
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Jo Cleave
Congratulations Matt - an awesome effort and a worthy cause
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Ann O'donoghue
well done you smashed it
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Anonymous
Read your sCOOp and was really touched. Best of luck!
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Kerry Hutton
£12.25
Andy & Jude Rowsell
Fantastic effort Matt, good luck!
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Helen Gregory
Fantastic challenge Matt!! Good luck to you :-)
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Linda Davies
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Gary Beale
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Verity Palmer
Such an amazing thing to do Matt. Good luck!
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James Burke
Best of luck Matt!
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Stephen Williams
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Evelyn Hardie
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Stuart Holmes
Well done Matt
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Hena Hussain
Good luck Matt.
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Kev Ross
Best of luck Matt!
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Marion Braund
Good luck Matt.
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Sanchia Groves
Good luck, Matt! Hope you remain blister free.
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Anonymous
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Diane Byrne
£10
Neil Aston
Matt - Great effort and worthy cause. You'll smash it. Good luck.
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Madeline Pike
£10
Carol Hedges
Amazing Matt! Good luck!
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James Donaldson
Rather you than me. Best of luck!
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Alison Clark
Good luck Matt
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Serafino Lombardi
Good luck on your trek.
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Nathan Hazell
Good luck Matt, you’ll smash it!
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Leon Glass-watson
All the best Matt - Great cause!
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Stuart Scott
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Claire
Good luck Matt - with love from Claire and Roman Ratcliffe :)
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Kirsty Parsons
Good luck Matt 🙂
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Mark Hodges
£10
Amy Hignett
Good luck Matt :)
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Cliff And Iris Smith
Great cause, matt
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Stacey Perrett
you are an inspiration Matt! good on you :) all the very best and i hope the weather is good for you
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Rich Donnachie
Super inspired by this Matt! Amazing!
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Natalie Allen
Matalan you are an incredible human being, good luck!
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Laura Cavill
What an incredible challenge! Good luck ans don’t forget to book that massage for the finish line!
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Kali Stock
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Becky Lusardi
Amazing Matt - well done !
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Simon Parker
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Andy Brice
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Felicity Corrigan
Good luck Matt - that's a lot of miles!
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Palminder Kaur
Really moved by your story and such a great cause.
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Anonymous
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Claire Emery
You got this Matt!!
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Sarah Moody
Such an amazing thing to do! Good luck with the challenge
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Jayne Mcsherry
£6.50
Nicci Mcdowell
A fantastic cause! Well done Matt!
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Steven Maclean
£5
Ally Hudd
You are amazing Matt! I only read your story recently and had no idea you had donated a kidney to a stranger - what an utterly selfless thing to do. Good luck with your challenge!
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Leanne Skuse
Good Luck Matt, what an amazing thing your are doing :)
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M Parker
Good Luck
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Nadine Barentt
good luck!
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Helen Marshall
Amazing charity! Keep going Matt!
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Go for it Matt, we’ll be backing you all the way