A determined grandmother is gearing up for the colossal task of walking 120 miles in 10 days to raise money for the charity who cared for her husband before his death.

Pat Rennie will trek the Suffolk Coastal Path from Lowestoft to Felixstowe and the Sandlings Walk from Ipswich to Southwold in memory of Bud, her husband of 54 years who passed away in June following a brave battle with cancer.

As well as honouring Bud’s memory and marking the anniversary of his death, Mrs Rennie will also be raising funds for Halesworth Community Nursing Care Fund (HCNCF), which provided vital support to allow him to remain at home in the last few weeks of his life.

The 74-year-old, who lives in Holton, begins the walk on June 19 and hopes to finish within 10 days.

“To me and my family, Bud was our rock,” said Mrs Rennie. “He had a quirky sense of humour and, even in those last weeks, could make me smile. He was truly a lovely and remarkable man and will always be my hero.

“I decided to take on this challenge to honour Bud’s memory and as a way of thanking people for their incredible support. HCNCF made such a difference by providing specialist equipment and additional nursing support to allow Bud to remain in the comfort of his own home.

“I hope other people will benefit from the same exceptional level of care which helped us so much.”

To make the achievement even greater, Mrs Rennie will be taking on the challenge just days after celebrating her 75th birthday. She is well aware of the challenge ahead, but also determined to celebrate her husband’s life.

“Finishing the walk would be a real achievement for me as I will have recently celebrated my 75th birthday,” added Mrs Rennie.

“It’s likely to be an emotional few days, as it will give my family and I the chance to share memories of a wonderful man and reminisce about the happy times we spent together.”

HCNCF chairman, Dr Kevin Maclusky, said: “We’re really pleased we were able to help Bud remain at home during his illness, and incredibly grateful to Pat for taking on this challenge.

“We wish her all the best and look forward to congratulating her on her achievement afterwards.”