A MOTHER from Colchester will be walking 286 miles over cliffs, beaches and rocks around the Cornish coastal path to raise much-needed funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Hilary Collins, a mum from Ardleigh in Colchester, is embarking on a 286-mile walk around the Cornish coastal path to raise money for a charity close to her heart, the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The trek will take her from Bude to Plymouth and she’ll be starting her journey in mid-June. The cause is very close to Hilary’s heart as her daughter, Ciara Collins-Allen, eleven, a pupil at Manningtree High School, has been under Great Ormond Street’s care since she was just a few weeks’ old.

She said: “My daughter has an unusual birthmark (haemangioma). It came up on her face a couple of weeks after she was born, but we also discovered that she had one in her throat too and she struggled to breathe. She was given an operation to laser the birthmark, but it didn’t go to plan and she ended up in intensive care for three very scary days. Since that time, she’s returned to Great Ormond Street every few months for further laser treatment on her face and the birthmarks have receded a lot, but she will remain a patient for several years to come.

“So, I’ve always wanted to repay the amazing staff at Great Ormond Street for saving my daughter’s life. Her journey to recovery is a long one, so I think it’s only fitting my fundraising effort is a long journey too.”

The fundraising walk will be raising funds for the dermatology unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital, who require thousands of pounds to pay for new specialist lasers. Hilary will be undertaking the walk in two sections. Her first part will take her from Bude to St Ives, which will commence on June 15. To support Hilary in her fundraising venture, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cornishcoastalpathgosh.

You can also follow her journey on Instagram @MumsJourneyofThankstoGOSH.

Every single penny raised will go directly to Great Ormond Street Hospital.