From Ipswich to Ohio: Global Cancer Hope Walk Connects Communities Across Continents

What started as a simple idea in Ipswich has brought people together across towns, cities and even continents.

On 11 and 12 September, people affected by cancer took part in the first-ever Global Cancer Hope Walk, organised by local start-up Hope to Connect. Participants headed out to beaches, parks, woodland trails and city streets to walk in memory of loved ones, celebrate those who have come through treatment, support people currently facing a diagnosis, and stand with the wider cancer community.

The beauty of the event was its simplicity. Walk wherever you are. Walk with whoever you choose. Walk for whatever reason matters to you.

Over the course of the weekend, people joined in from locations including Ohio in the United States, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, South Wales, London, Birmingham, Brighton, Bedford, Felixstowe and, of course, Ipswich.

The event began on Friday with an ‘Employee Wellbeing Walk’, encouraging workplaces to step away from desks for a short time and create space for conversation, reflection and connection.

Then on Saturday morning, walkers gathered at Holywells Park for the Ipswich leg of the event. Robin and Charlotte, the new landlords of the Margaret Catchpole on Cliff Lane, welcomed participants with tea, coffee and cupcakes before and after the walk, helping to create a warm community atmosphere.

For Hope to Connect co-founder Mandeep Birdy, it was the personal stories shared throughout the weekend that made the biggest impact.

“Everyone came with their own reason for walking and their own person in their heart,” she said.

“For a few hours, all of those individual stories became part of something shared. Across the world and right here in Ipswich, people walked in memory of those they’ve lost, in support of loved ones living with cancer, and in celebration of those who have come through treatment.”

Some of the most memorable moments came unexpectedly.

“People stopped to ask what we were doing and those simple questions opened up conversations about cancer,” said Mandeep. “Some stories were heartbreaking, others were hopeful. Those moments captured exactly why Hope to Connect was created. Sometimes it only takes one conversation to make somebody feel a little less alone.”

The event also carried special significance for Mandeep. It was the first major Hope to Connect event since the death of friend and fellow co-founder Emma Adams earlier this year.

Emma and Mandeep created Hope to Connect together with a shared belief that nobody affected by cancer should feel isolated. While Emma’s absence was felt throughout the weekend, her influence remained at the heart of the event.

“It was hard not being able to celebrate with Em when the first person registered, or look through all the photos together afterwards,” Mandeep reflected. “I think she would have been very proud.”

The successful walk follows an extraordinary year for Hope to Connect. Earlier this year, the organisation brought together more than 1,000 people in Ipswich and achieved a Guinness World Records title for the Most Signatures on an Awareness Ribbon.

Local businesses have continued to play an important role in supporting the initiative, with Fleximize acting as the lead sponsor for the walk, Tesco Kesgrave donating water for participants, and Margaret Catchpole hosting walkers in Ipswich.

For Mandeep, every event is helping to move the organisation closer to its long-term goal: developing the Hope to Connect app.

The planned platform aims to help tackle cancer loneliness by connecting people with others who understand what they are going through, creating opportunities for friendship, support and genuine human connection.

In the meantime, the focus remains on bringing people together in real life.

Hope to Connect’s next community event will be its popular Bingo Night on 17 October, featuring more than £1,000 worth of prizes and another opportunity for local people to come together, have fun and support a good cause.

As the Global Cancer Hope Walk showed, whether you’re walking through Holywells Park, along a Suffolk seafront or on the other side of the world, a shared journey can start with a single step.

Find out more about Hope to Connect, support its fundraising efforts or discover upcoming events at hopetoconnect.com.