Olivia’s very personal walk from Wales in honour of mum and brother

A daughter who lost her mother to cancer seven years ago and a brother to suicide three years ago has been on a charity walk from Cardiff to London in their honour.

Olivia Jenkins, of Chambers Park Hill, Wimbledon, this week completed the 200-mile trek from the west, ending up at the offices in Filament Walk, Wandsworth where her jewellery business is based.

All proceeds from the sponsored walk are being donated to the Penarth Hospice, Cardiff, where Olivia’s mother, Deborah Louise, was cared for before she died.

Her brother, Jack Jenkins, was 27 when he died, having struggled to come to terms with the loss of his mother. He was a keen mountain bike rider who grew up in Cardiff, from where the family hail.

“He was really kind and thoughtful. He was the kindest and bravest person with a heart of gold,” Olivia said of her brother.

Speaking of her venture, she said: “You can’t control what happens in life, but you can choose to react to it in a positive way. I see walking as a form of therapy and a time to reflect”.

She walked the equivalent of a marathon a day for eight days on the way to the D. Louise office and was joined by family, friends and well-wishers along the way.

“It’s a time for people who have had a loss close to them to come together and share stories of their loved ones, positively reflect and make new friends and memories,” she said.

Following the loss of her mother, Olivia set up D. Louise, a jewellery brand named after her mother, Deborah Louise.

Pictured top: Olivia (Picture: D. Louise Ltd)