Edward Cooke to walk 124 miles from Farnham to Canterbury for charity supporting Ukrainians in the UK
07 May 2026
Following his 2023 fundraising event for OPORA, this summer Edward Cooke is taking on a new challenge to raise much-needed funds for this UK based charity which support people fleeing the terrors and trauma of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Joined by family, friends and colleagues along the way, Edward will walk 124 miles of the Pilgrims Way. Starting at the door of our Farnham office on Saturday 13 June, Edward will walk for eight days along this historic route. Passing through Shere, Reigate, Oxted, Wrotham, Medway, Maidstone and Ashford on his way to the finish line at the doors of Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday 20 June.
124 miles for Opora: supporting their vital work
Edward’s last fundraising adventure raised over £7,500 for OPORA, a small but transformational charity dedicated to supporting Ukrainian families in settling and sustainably rebuilding their lives in the UK, with a particular focus on mental health. The sum raised made a huge impact, but with the war continuing and future still uncertain, support is needed more than ever.
Edward hopes to raise as much as possible to continue to support OPORA’s Mental Health Programme.
OPORA’s recent community research shows the scale and urgency of the mental health need:
| 80% | of Ukrainians experience anxiety, tension, or constant worry often or almost always |
| 60% | experience loneliness often or almost always |
| 30% | report having thoughts that life is not worth living |
Founded in February 2022 at the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine, OPORA has already provided reliable support and information to over 35,000 Ukrainians who have come here through the Homes for Ukrainians and Family schemes. It aspires to proactively approach the problems people face so that they have the best possible chance of living safe, sustainable and fulfilling lives in the UK.
OPORA maintain a strong focus on the critical need to provide a specialist mental health ecosystem, in order to provide a service to Ukrainians across the country who have been affected by the enormous trauma of the war.
Mental health support is something Edward feel passionately about. As a family lawyer and mediator, Edward supports people going through the trauma of separation on a daily basis. Edward also has a long-standing interest in the region, having lived, worked and travelled in Russia and Ukraine back in the 1990s. Edward said:
“Chichester has welcomed the highest proportion of refugees from Ukraine in the country.
My wife is part of the team at our local secondary school which continues to support a considerable number of Ukrainian students and their families. We have made some wonderful Ukrainian friends over the last few years as a result, and the challenges they face continue to cause great heartache.
OPORA are doing remarkable work and I'm honoured to be able to support them again this year and help them to continue to develop the vital mental health services which are clearing having such a positive impact on so many."
To find out more, please contact Edward.
To donate, please go to Edward's Just Giving Page.
