The Evie Dove Foundation is calling on the Kent community to step out and help save young lives as its fourth annual Big Coastal Walk returns on Saturday 5th September 2026. Starting and finishing at Unit 1 Riverside in Hythe, the inclusive walk offers a 16-mile flat coastal route, and a shorter 3-mile Little Canal Walk, with walkers wearing bright pink t-shirts in support of the Foundation.
Taking place during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the walk raises vital funds for The Evie Dove Foundation, a Kent-based charity honouring the legacy of 13-year-old Evie Dove, who passed away in 2022 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Evie lived life to the full with a sparkle in her heart. She was brave, kind, and caring, and lit up every room she entered.
The Foundation supports sick children and their families to access the best possible care by funding training for children’s healthcare professionals, known as Evie Dove Heroes. To date, The Evie Dove Foundation has supported over 290 paediatric healthcare professionals working in the NHS across numerous disciplines including psychology, allergy specialisms, physiotherapy and more.
One such grant recipient is Bengisu Bassoy, a consultant paediatrician based in Dartford, Kent, with a special interest in allergy and asthma. “The funding from the Foundation is helping me complete the second and third year of my Allergy MSc,” she said. “It means I can bring the most up-to-date, evidence-based care to my patients, and pass that knowledge on to my colleagues and junior doctors too. It’s had a real impact on both my own development and the care I’m able to give to children and families.”
This year will also see a number of Evie Dove Heroes join the walk. Recently, healthcare professionals sponsored by the Foundation have started arranging their own fundraising events, from marathons and concerts to community walks, to help fund training opportunities for fellow paediatric healthcare professionals.
“To everyone getting involved this year, whether you’re walking, sharing the event with friends, or volunteering, thank you,” said Matthew Paxton, Trustee of The Evie Dove Foundation. “Together, we’re investing in the future of children’s healthcare. We chose this route because Evie loved the sea and it’s her compassion that inspired us to start the Foundation. It means the world to see that same kindness carried forward by everyone who takes part.”
Dickie Mackness will take part in this year’s walk once again, after walking over 4,000 miles around the UK in Evie’s name, raising more than £16,000 for the Foundation.
Thanks to sponsorship from local businesses and Trusts, including headline sponsor Unit 1, SAGA, The Pilot, Hawkinge Lidl, and The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, alongside our volunteers, the event is cost-neutral. This means every penny raised goes directly to funding specialist training for paediatric healthcare professionals. The walk has now raised more than £70,000 in its first three years.
Communities beyond Kent are also stepping up, with satellite walks happening in Cyprus, Portsmouth, and the Midlands, all led by family and friends of the Foundation. Anyone inspired to organise their own walk can find resources and get involved via the Foundation’s website.
The Big Coastal Walk is open to all, with no fundraising minimums, and an entry fee of £10 (£5 for the shorter route).
To sign up, donate, or organise your own walk, visit: https://theeviedovefoundation.org/event/the-big-coastal-walk-the-little-canal-walk-2026/
