Friends Walk 50km in Memory of Their Mums and Raise More Than £7,900 for Saint Francis Hospice

Lifelong friends Nicola and Caroline have raised more than £7,900 for Saint Francis Hospice after completing the 50km Thames Path Ultra in memory of their mothers. 

The challenge, which took place on 12 September, saw the pair walk 50km along the Thames, completing the route in 12 hours and 13 minutes. 

"We got the blisters and my calf muscle seized up halfway, but we got through it," said Nicola. "It was very picturesque walking along the Thames Path and we met lots of other walkers along the way. 

"We enjoyed it so much. Afterwards, that euphoric feeling lasted a week. There was such a sense of achievement and joy in raising money to help the hospice. We wanted to give something back for the care and support. You were there for us in our time of need and it was only fitting that we should give back. We are so grateful and honoured to have been able to do this for the hospice." 

Having been best friends for more than 42 years, since they were 11 years old, Nicola and Caroline have shared many of life's biggest moments together. Sadly, they both lost their mothers to cancer within just five months of each other. 

Nicola completed the challenge in memory of her mum, Betty Goldsworthy, who died in March at the age of 80 following a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. 

"This walk was a tribute to the beautiful, fiercely stubborn spirit of Betty G," said Nicola. "Every step taken carried forward her love, her courage and her unstoppable spirit." 

Caroline took on the challenge in memory of her mum, Hanna Keane, affectionately known to family and friends as "Mamma Goose". Hanna was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2025 and died just eight weeks later at the age of 73. 

The challenge was also an opportunity for Caroline to remember her Auntie Claire, Hanna's sister, who died in January 2025. 

In the final weeks of both Betty and Hanna's lives, Hospice at Home nurses from Saint Francis Hospice provided care and support, helping them remain comfortable while supporting their families through an incredibly difficult time. 

Inspired by that care, Nicola and Caroline signed up for the Thames Path Ultra to help ensure other families can receive the same support when they need it most. 

Together, they completed the challenge and raised more than £7,900 for Saint Francis Hospice. 

Caroline captured her memories of her mum in a poem: 

A gentle strength that never made her soft 
A steady hand that lifted hearts aloft 

Our home was filled with music and with song 
The kind of kitchen where you'd just belong. 

With boiled bacon, cabbage steaming high, 
The very best that money couldn't buy. 

And oh, the magic in her mashing hand, 
You'll never taste such spuds in all the land. 

Her three daughters - Maggie, Caroline and Jackie, were her pride, 
With seven little grandkids right by her side. 

Our lovely Mam, so giving and so kind, 
Her beautiful spirit stays forever in our minds.