The widow of a former police officer is set to fulfil her promise to him of walking more than 600 miles in eight weeks along the UK’s longest coastal path in his memory.  

Ruth Rodgers will take on the South West Coast Path to raise funds for Ashgate Hospice, where her husband Peter received end of life care. 

The retired nurse will leave Minehead in Somerset on 8 May and arrive in Poole in Dorset on 10 July, her 60th birthday. 

Ruth, who lives in Oakerthorpe, near Alfreton, said she and Peter had always planned to do the 631-mile walk when he retired. 

But sadly, after being diagnosed with a form of bladder cancer, he died under the care of the hospice in June 2016. 

“I promised him I’d do the walk at a family wedding in Poole the year before he died, when we managed to walk the final half mile of the trail together,” said Ruth. 

“So it’s been planned for quite some time. I am feeling excited and keen to get going, but it’s obviously very emotional for me too. 

“I wanted to support the hospice to give something back for all the love, care and support they gave to Peter and our family during his diagnosis and when he died. 

“I wish Peter was by my side physically, but I’m determined to keep my promise to him and complete the walk in his memory.” 

Peter, from Dronfield, worked for South Yorkshire Police between 1990 until 2013, and had been planning to retire in December 2016 on his 55th birthday.

He was a family man, a keen sailor who was a member of the police sailing club, and an “exercise addict” who enjoyed swimming, running and weightlifting most days, Ruth said. 

When doctors diagnosed him with cancer in May 2013, they told him there was no treatment available, and his only options were palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 

Ruth said hearing the news was “devastating” for her family, especially their children Sam and Hannah. 

“Peter was a kind, thoughtful and funny family man,” she added. “We were very lucky to have him in our lives. 

“His colleagues nicknamed him ‘the vicar’ because he could see good in most people despite his job!  

“Up until his illness he had been an incredibly fit, active and well man, so it was absolutely devastating for us to hear and live with.” 

In Christmas 2015, he eventually agreed to receive palliative care due to pain and swelling in his limbs. 

Nurses from the hospice’s community team visited Peter at home before he was admitted to Ashgate’s Inpatient Unit in Old Brampton, Chesterfield, where he would spend his final days. 

Ruth added: “I cannot tell you how supportive the team were as we walked through the doors; it felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around all of us.  

“The care not only Peter but the kids and I received was just first class. We are so lucky to have Ashgate as part of our community. 

“I think many people – as we did – think of the hospice as a place to die but it is so much more than that.  

“I would go as far as to say it’s a place to live the very best you can in the worst of circumstances.”

Ruth wants to raise as much money as she can for Ashgate and has already smashed her fundraising target of £631, which is the number of miles she’s preparing to walk. 

While she will be walking alone, she will be supported by self-guided travel company Macs Adventure during her trip. 

They will provide accommodation and arrange the carriage of her luggage so she can walk with a lighter backpack. 

With only 31% of Ashgate’s funding coming from the NHS, the hospice relies on supporters like Ruth to fund an £11 million shortfall. 

If you’d like to support Ruth, donate via her JustGiving page to raise funds for palliative and end of life care in North Derbyshire.