A fundraising family has proved that charity starts at home after completing a 10k charity walk in memory of a brave youngster who died from a rare form of bone cancer.

Members of the Dawes family recently travelled to Petersfield from afar as Wiltshire and Bristol to join their annual 10k walk in memory of Ellison Dawes.

Ellison was just eleven when he died from Ewing Sarcoma in February 2021 following a ten-month battle against the disease.

Despite undergoing 14 bouts of chemotherapy and losing his hair, the youngster never complained and remained “lively” even as his condition worsened.

His family have raised more than £93,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust to fund vital life-saving research since launching a fund in his name.

Marathon efforts and fundraising walks have become firm fixtures on the family calendar, with the latest being a 10k circular trek from the Herne Farm family home.

Conditions on the trek via Sky Park Farm and West Harting were considerably drier than last year’s soggy saunter, with Ellison’s grandfather and fundraising brainchild, Tony Dawes, enjoying the fundraising get-together.

He said: “It’s something we do every year – it’s to raise a little bit of money but we also do it to remember Ellison and raise awareness.

“The walk isn’t too taxing and it’s something we all look forward to.”

As always, family members wore orange for the walk with around 20 putting on their suncream and sunglasses for the annual trek. The walk is a great walk to get the family together, while also doing “something positive” in Ellison’s memory.

More than 30 family members and relatives, all wearing orange, took part in the walk. For more about Ellison’s story or to make a donation, visit https://specialfunds.bcrt.org.uk/ellisons-fund/