ENTHUSIASTIC walkers trekked across the county to raise money for a good cause.

People from all over Sussex took part in the hike from Brighton to Eastbourne, across the picturesque South Downs Way, to raise money for cancer patients.

Saturday’s 26-mile walk was part of the Macmillan Mighty Hikes series.

These are one-day hiking marathons in beautiful locations across the UK to raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Clinical professionals were joined by patients, family, friends and members of the community who wanted to show their support.

They took in spectacular views of the finest unspoilt coastline from the chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters Country Park.

Jill Barker, Macmillan clinical nurse specialist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, walked 26 miles with her team.

She said: “As a Macmillan clinical nurse specialist, I know how important the physical, financial and emotional support that Macmillan provides can be.

“We were talking about doing a charity walk for Macmillan and heard about the South Coast Mighty Hike through a patient’s relative.

“We use Macmillan a lot for information for our patients in the clinic, so it’s something that’s very close to our oncology centre.”

Natalie Swallow, finance business partner at Macmillan Cancer Support, got involved for the first time this year.

She said: “We thought it would be a great opportunity for team bonding, and at the same time raise money for the charity we’re proud to work for.

“It’s also nice to get out for a walk along the coast.

“I was walking to and from work a lot, and my friends recently came with me to Margate for a windy walk along the coast to Ramsgate.

“We passed another South Coast Mighty Hiker along the way and cheered each other on.”

Last year approximately 10,800 people walked 2,203,200 miles between them to raise £5.75 million for Macmillan.

The charity is almost entirely funded by donations and so relies heavily on the public’s help to keep its day-to-day activities going.

The money raised through challenge events such as the South Coast Mighty Hike ensures Macmillan can continue to offer a broad range of cancer information and support services, including a free support line and a community of more than 7,700 healthcare professionals.