The Macmillan Ways Association was founded in 1997 by Peter Titchmarsh and his wife Janet. The decision to create the path, name it and in doing so, support Macmillan, was a personal one dear to them both. Peter and Janet worked tirelessly to develop the main route, walking and re-walking all sections, taking numerous photographs and describing all twists and turns throughout all 290-miles to ensure that the subsequent guide book contained as much detail as possible. Planning the route was only a small part of the work involved as in order to ‘waymark’ a long distance footpath permission has to be gained from all of the county councils whose area the route passes and to include mapping in a publication, the permission of Ordnance Survey is also required. This, as you can well imagine, took considerable time but all of Peter and Janet’s hard work was worth it. Since the opening of the Macmillan Way, over £350,000 has been raised for Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

Having created the Macmillan Way, Peter developed the Macmillan Way West; an extension of the main route branching off at Castle Cary and passing over the Quantock Hills, the Somerset Levels and Exmoor before reaching the coast at Barnstaple. There then followed the Abbotsbury - Langport Link and the Cross Cotswold Pathway. All paths within the Macmillan Ways stable support Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

Apart from some assistance with route checking the entire network of the Macmillan Ways was managed and administered by Peter and Janet from their home in Warwickshire.

 

Over an extended Easter break in 2003 Jenny Davidson walked the main Macmillan Way from Boston to Abbotsbury. Through sponsorship from friends and work colleagues, Jenny raised over £6,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. It wasn’t long before Jenny began helping Peter and Janet with the day-to-day running of the association and in 2009, she and her husband Rod took over the Macmillan Ways network in it’s entirety. Peter was 82 years old and although still a keen walker, felt it was time to hand over the reigns.

 

It is still a source of amusement for both Jenny and Rod when people write or call and ask for the ‘Publications Department‘ or to be put through to the ‘Press Officer’. There are still just two people running the Macmillan Way Association……… when the ‘day job’ allows.