Dear All,

Keith Loring was a loving husband to our beautiful mum Lesley and a brilliant loving dad to Katie & I. We lost him to cancer in December after a brave fight to the very end and miss him dearly.

We would like to honour his final wishes of completing and publishing the book he was writing, covering his time at Cambridge United F.C., Brentford Football Club, Derby County Football Club, Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Leicester City Football Club and Mickleover Football Club and to get his ashes to his favourite spot in the Algarve.

As a family we would also like to put a memorial bench in his honour next to the lake in Alvaston Park where he just loved to walk and relax. Any money remaining, we will donate to his favourite charities; the Royal British Legion and Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre.

To raise money, I am walking just over 270 miles, the equivalent of covering his journey from Cambridge Utd Football Club, to Brentford Football Club, to Derby County Football Club, to Derbyshire County Cricket Club, to Leicester City Football Club and finally to Mickleover Football Club. According to Google, to do it continuously, it should take me around seven weeks, at a rate of 10,000 steps per day, with a final total of well over 500,000 steps. I will update daily my distanced walked and keep you informed of the progress made.

Keith wasn’t just our dad – he was a pillar of the community wherever he went, believing in the power of community and charity, and working tirelessly to help people.

Since he died, we have been truly touched by the messages we have had and seeing how much dad was loved, respected, how he inspired, mentored and affected so many along the way, with his selfless attitude and generosity throughout his life has been overwhelming.

Please help us achieve his final wishes and support the charities he loved.

Thank you for all your support.

Lesley, Katie & Paul Loring

xxx