This film is part of Free

Ian Botham’s First Charity Walk

England cricketer Ian Botham completes an epic charity walk at Land's End.

News 1985 3 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for South West Film and Television Archive

Overview

Ian Botham arrives at Land's End to welcoming crowds and press after his first long distance charity walk in aid of leukaemia. TV presenters Selina Scott and Frank Bough are also there to mark the end of the nine hundred mile trek from John O'Groats to Land's End. Botham holds his new baby daughter Becky in his arms. Through his walks he has helped to raise millions for charity and provided inspiration for others to do the same.

Botham was determined to do something to raise money for the charity when in Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital he was so moved after visiting the children's cancer ward. He was having treatment for a broken toe at the time and supposedly found the ward by accident and immediately empathised with children, some of whom had only months to live. Botham was a top England cricketer with the nickname of Beefy who turned commentator and broadcaster. He had gained celebrity status and fans crowded towards the headland at England's most westerly point. He became Sir Ian Botham in the Queen's birthday honours list of 2007 but please don't tell Kath!