DOZENS of people turned out in Winchester for a charity walk with a difference on Saturday (May 18).

Thanks to 11-year-old Hope Atkin, 92 walkers, clad in pyjamas and onsies, made their way through the city to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

Helped with the organisation by mother Wanda Ventham, of Lowden Close, Badger Farm, Hope had the idea to raise the money as a tribute to her father, Richard Atkin, who died of cancer last year aged 39.

After the walk, Hope, a pupil at Kings’ School, said: “It was really fun and lots more people turned up than I thought would, and it was such a great atmosphere.

“On my tenth birthday I had a onsie party with my dad and my friends, so that was how I got the idea.”

The group set off from Badger Farm Community Centre at 11.30am, plotting a route which finished in the city centre at about 1.30pm.

Wanda, 36, said: “When you think it started with one idea by an 11-year-old girl to put something on, it’s amazing.

“Richard would have been so proud of her. She was a real daddy’s girl.”

And it was an emotional event for the 36-year-old nanny.

“Four of the nurses from Southampton who cared for Richard came and that was just amazing. That actually made me cry to know that he had made such an impact on them,” she said.

Afterwards the group collected donations in buckets in the city centre.

Hope said: “We have raised loads of money and there are lots of buckets, but we don’t know exactly how much yet.”