What began as a walk in memory has become a powerful act of kindness across Warwickshire. 

Community Champion and People Clerk at Morrisons, Alexandra Joan Pearson, and her dog Chester completed a 20-mile fundraising walk for Evelyn's Gift, a local charity supporting families, children and individuals at their most difficult moments.

Alex has been fundraising for Evelyn's Gift since 2021, taking part in annual charity walks in loving memory of Evelyn Smith.

The walk took place on on Monday 1 December, and saw Alex and Chester walked 20 miles in memory of Evelyn Mary Smith, who would have celebrated her 20th birthday.

The walk began in Stratford-upon-Avon, with the pair heading into Warwick and on to Leamington. Once there, Alex was joined by the Evelyn's Gift team, where they continued to St Mary's Church, where candles were lit in memory of children who have sadly passed away.

Following this, the group also headed to Warwick Castle, where the Castle Light Trail was lit in memory of Evelyn.

Over the past ten years, Evelyn's Gift has supported thousands of people, mostly children, across the region. The charity is run entirely by volunteers, ensuring every penny raised goes directly to helping those in need.

The Evelyn's Gift team shared: "We are hugely grateful to Alex for her fundraising walk and to everyone that has donated so far so that we can continue Evelyn's legacy."

"Myself and Chester have raised money for Evelyn's Gift since 2021," Alex said.

"We love walking in memory of Evelyn every year, as we know it means a lot to the families."

Alex was joined by the Evelyn's Gift team, where they continued to St Mary's Church, where candles were lit in memory of children who have sadly passed away (image supplied)

The event marks Alex's fourth fundraising walk for the charity and she explained that her motivation comes from the wide-reaching impact of Evelyn's Gift.

"The reason I chose to raise money for this charity is because of the work they do to support not just families and children, but also people leaving prison," she said.

"They help people to start fresh, and they support children leaving care or going into care, which can be the scariest time of their lives."

Alex praised the charity's approach, highlighting how even small gestures can have life-changing effects.

"The work Evelyn's Gift does is remarkable, from small acts of kindness to helping a family redo their garden. These moments of kindness make a huge difference to someone's mental health and their lifestyle."

This year's walk is particularly emotional for Alex, as it is the first without her dog Archie, who had walked alongside her for four years during her charity fundraising efforts.

"That has been a massive loss," she added.

A Special Partnership at Warwick Castle

For the past few years, Warwick Castle has supported the fundraising efforts by lighting its Castle Light Trail in Evelyn's memory. This year's event was especially meaningful, as Evelyn's Gift joined forces with Warwick-based Molly Olly's, bringing the two charities together to raise funds and awareness.

Both charities support seriously ill children, provide acts of kindness to families in need, and offer support to community groups.

"We are incredibly proud to support them," Alex said. "We love being part of what they do and we're already looking forward to next year, where we'll continue our fundraising efforts."

The Story Behind Evelyn's Gift

Evelyn Smith died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2013 from an upper airway infection. An inquest in 2014 found that her death was preventable, a devastating outcome for her family and the wider community.

In response, Evelyn's family and friends began raising money for women and children living in refuge accommodation in 2014. The charity Evelyn's Gift was officially launched in 2015.

Alongside this, CPR training for parents was introduced after many people said they would not have known what to do in a similar situation. Evelyn's Gift continues to promote CPR and AED training, now delivered by partner charity Warwickshire Hearts, which was co-founded in 2017. Since then, thousands of people across the local area have received lifesaving training.

This year's walk is particularly emotional for Alex, as it is the first without her dog Archie, who had walked alongside her for four years during her charity fundraising efforts (image supplied)

Supporting Those Most in Need

The majority of Evelyn's Gift's work focuses on acts of kindness for people facing a wide range of challenges, from serious childhood illness to crisis situations such as abuse, bereavement or accidents.

The charity works closely with Warwickshire County Council to support children in care and those leaving the care system. Projects include sibling activity days for children in separate care placements, household and food packs for care leavers attending university, and specialist bags to replace bin bags when children are moved between care settings.

Requests for help are referred by schools, community nursing teams, social workers, other charities and Acorns Children's Hospice. Thanks to a fast approval system, urgent support can often be provided within 24 hours.

This includes school uniforms for children relocating to refuges, clothing for emergency foster placements, and specialist food blenders for tube-fed children.

Over the past decade, the charity has also supplied hundreds of bereavement support books and resources to schools, community centres, social services and hospices. Evelyn's Gift funds silver fingerprint pendants for bereaved parents and provides specialist bereavement counselling through Warwickshire Therapy.

For rough sleepers and people vulnerable to homelessness or addiction, the charity supplies essential toiletries, underwear and socks via partner organisations across Coventry and Warwickshire.

How to Support

A short video highlighting the incredible work of Evelyn's Gift and its dedicated team can be viewed here.

Anyone wishing to support Alex's 20 miles for 20 years of Evelyn fundraising walk can donate via this JustGiving page.