Ian Botham’s First Charity Walk

From the collection of

The Box
Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.

Ian Botham’s First Charity Walk


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

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!


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