A group of walkers who previously raised £22,000 for a cancer charity are about to embark on a new challenge.

Martyn Haughan, 42, from Penrith, launched the fundraiser two years ago after his friend was diagnosed with cancer.

Before he knew it, more than 50 local people had volunteered to take part in the walk, from Penrith Community Hospital to the Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. Together they took on various parts of the route, depending on age and ability, with nine completing the entire distance.

The event raised £22,000 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which helps cancer patients across Cumbria and the north east.

Now Martyn is organising another sponsored walk, for the same cause and another charity close to his heart – the Eden Valley Hospice. Already more than 80 people have signed up.

He said: “I came up with the idea for the first walk because my friend, John Raynes, had secondary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“Luckily his chemo worked and a couple of months before the walk he got the all clear. As the organising went on, other friends and colleagues who had connections with cancer joined in and we ended up with 50 people walking or supporting the walk, and we raised a lot more than expected.

“This time we decided a lot of the people involved in 2014 also have reasons to thank Eden Valley Hospice so we’re raising money for two great charities. Hopefully, with more people involved, we can raise even more than last time.”

Back in 2014 John, also from Penrith, was well enough to walk three or four miles by the time the event came around but this time he is aiming to walk all 66 miles.

The walkers will set off from Penrith on Saturday, May 28. After an overnight stay in Haydon Bridge, they will finish the challenge at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle the next day.

This year’s walk is being supported by sponsors Penrith Building Supplies, AST Signs and Atkinson Building Contractors.

Carl Henderson, who works with Martyn at Penrith Building Supplies, is helping to promote the event. He said they are overwhelmed with the number of people signing up.

“We’ve got more than 80 people taking part, which is absolutely phenomenal. Loads of people from work are doing it and we’ve had such amazing support from local businesses,” he said.

Andrew Maddison, from the Carlisle-based Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw children’s hospice, said: “We would all like to thank Martyn, his family, work colleagues and friends for undertaking the walk.

“The money raised by the group of fundraisers will allow the hospice to provide the highest standards of care, support and activities to adults and children with life limiting illnesses.

“This year is a special year for Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw as we mark our 25th anniversary. For two-and-half decades the hospice has provided care for adults and children in the local community, but none of this would have been possible without the support of the Cumbrian community.”

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation funds projects, including the clinical trials of new drugs, that directly benefit patients from across the North East and Cumbria, and which contribute significantly to international research into cancer.