Weymouth home care team conquers 26-mile Jurassic Coast trek to raise £700 for Macmillan

Colleagues from Kingsley Home Care's Weymouth branch have raised more than £700 for Macmillan Cancer Support after completing the charity's gruelling 26-mile Mighty Hike along Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Branch manager Tiffany Meachim and care co-ordinator Kate Stone took on the marathon-distance trek on Saturday, July 4, starting and finishing at Norden Farm, in Wareham. The pair tackled more than 2,000 metres of elevation in blazing sunshine, over terrain that included steep hills, rocky paths, uneven ground and dramatic coastal cliff edges.

Tiffany said: "Working in home care means we spend our days helping others stay safe, comfortable, and independent in the place they love most. We see strength, resilience, and courage every single day — and it's those very people who inspired us to take on this challenge."

She admitted the hike was "the hardest thing I have ever done".

"We covered a distance of 26 miles with over 2,000m of elevation in blazing sunshine throughout. The scenery was stunning, but my little legs were struggling," she said.

"I hit the wall at mile 21, then it was a case of head down and one foot in front of the other until we reached the finish line! I couldn't walk for a day or two after and poor Kate's feet were covered in blisters."

Despite the punishing conditions, Tiffany praised the spirit of the day: "It was an amazing event with fellow hikers offering encouragement, smiles, and camaraderie and staff and marshals doing an incredible job."

Kingsley Home Care, part of family-owned Kingsley Healthcare Group, which operates care homes across the UK including four in Dorset, opened its Weymouth branch earlier this year. As the branch expands, offering a range of flexible services from companionship visits to live-in care, more than 50 jobs will be created locally.