Sarah Butler is taking on a 100km walk to raise money for Victim Support, the charity that supported her and her family though the loss of her sister.
Sarah and her brother Jamie will be walking from London to Brighton on Saturday 26th May as part of the London 2 Brighton Challenge. They will walk through the night, starting in Richmond through the Surrey and Sussex countryside until they reach Brighton.
Sarah’s sister, Nicola Cross, was murdered in her home in Hemel Hempstead in 2014 and since then the family have taken on different challenges to raise money for Victim Support. Sarah says:
Victim Support have been there for us as a family from day one and I can’t even put into words how amazing they’ve been – without them I really don’t know where we would be today.
“It’s still very difficult today but what we’ve been through has made us realise how precious life is and how important it is to make the most of every moment – which is why we’re keen to take on these new challenges. And if we can raise money for other families going through a similar experience then even better.”
Sarah and Jamie started training just before Christmas and have been doing lots of walking to gear up for the big day.
“We’ve got a dog so he’s been coming along on the training walks and he loves it! Most of our training has just been about increasing our fitness and building up to longer and longer walks.”
Last year Sarah and her family and friends arranged a charity football match in her family’s hometown of Thetford where they raised more than £2,000 for Victim Support and Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) who have also helped the family over the last few years.
Sarah will also be starting her training in June to become a Peer Support worker with Victim Support’s national Homicide Service, providing support to other families who have been bereaved through murder or manslaughter. The aim of the service is to provide confidential listening and support through shared experience to help manage the impact of families’ loss.
If you are inspired by Sarah and Jamie’s efforts, you could sign up for your own challenge. Visit our website or contact fundraising@victimsupport.org.uk