Essex Way Fundraiser

KATIE Southgate, founder of Essex children’s cancer support charity Gold Geese, has completed a six‑day solo trek across the county to honour the memory of children lost to cancer, and to raise vital funds to support local families.
Camping en route with her Labrador Lulu, Ms Southgate covered 81 miles from Epping Station to Harwich Lighthouse and walked 178,600 steps in total. So far she has raised nearly £2000.
Ms Southgate had originally planned for the Essex Way Trek to take eight days – one for each year the charity has operated – but she powered on and completed the challenge in just six days.
The Leigh mum-of-two founded Gold Geese in 2018 after her own child was diagnosed with cancer. She is now the charity’s CEO, leading a small but dedicated team providing practical and emotional support to families of children and young people fighting cancer in Mid and South Essex.
Support is tailored to each family’s needs and ranges from funding mental health therapy and food shop vouchers to toys, weekend trips away, practical help and bereavement support.
Ms Southgate said: “This is childhood cancer awareness month, and I decided to do this challenge, solo, to think about every Gold child we have lost and honour their wonderful families.
“I feel honoured to provide families with bereavement support, but after eight years the grief is feeling heavy.
“The trek was harder than I thought it would be, but the weather was fantastic and it was lovely to pay my respects to the Gold children we have sadly lost.”
For more information about Gold Geese visit www.goldgeese.org.
To donate to Ms Southgate’s Essex Way Trek visit https://bit.ly/KatieWalksEssex.
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