Walking towards hope: how Waterhouse Business Centre’s Amanda Spurgeon is stepping up for cancer research 

We’re well into the year now, and for some, this is the time when New Year’s resolutions quietly begin to fade, but at Waterhouse Business Centre in Chelmsford, Business Support Coordinator,  Amanda Spurgeon is only just getting started as she takes on Cancer Research UK’s Walk All Over Cancer challenge and steps forward with purpose, resilience and hope. Read her inspiring story here: 

What is the Walk All Over Cancer challenge? 

Walk All Over Cancer is a nationwide fundraising challenge that invites participants to complete 10,000 steps every day from 1st to 31st March. It is simple in format, yet powerful in impact. By committing to move every day for a month, fundraisers help Cancer Research UK continue its vital work into prevention, diagnosis and treatment.  

Amanda will be walking at least 10,000 steps daily throughout March, splitting her walks throughout the day. In quietly and consistently putting one foot in front of the other, she reminds us to empower ourselves and take our health into our own hands:  

“This time a year ago, I was three stone heavier. I would never have thought of doing anything like this at all.” Amanda explains, “I’ve made some lifestyle changes since about May last year, which was just a case of moving more and making better food choices.”  

“Now, it’s helping me with my mind and keeping myself active. And I’m doing something worthwhile for other people.” 

It is this steady, determined approach, underlined with gratitude, that Amanda hopes to bring to the challenge itself.  

Amanda’s personal connection to the cause 

Behind every fundraising page is a story. Amanda’s is one shaped by loss, love and perspective. 

“I’ve lost some very close family members through cancer,” she shares. “I lost a niece who was only 13. That was very hard. I’ve also lost my stepfather and friends as well.” 

Her father also faced cancer, battling prostate cancer some years ago. Thankfully, he survived and will turn 90 this year. 

However, over the past year, Amanda has also faced her own health challenges. They were not life-threatening, but they prompted reflection. 

“I got a bit down,” she admits. “And I thought to myself, there are so many people out there going through so much worse than me, people who can’t get out of bed, who can’t walk. I thought, I can walk. I can do something.” 

Amanda’s decision to sign up came just one week before the beginning of the challenge, after some inspirational introspection.  

“It was the Sunday before the start of the challenge, Sunday it was, and I suddenly thought I really am fit and I am healthy. I can get out there, and let’s do something to make a difference. And if we all did that, you know, it would be quite an amazing thing, really.” 

A community effort, one step at a time 

Although this is Amanda’s first challenge of this kind, she approached it with quiet determination. She set an initial fundraising target of £200, enough to buy a Wright-Giemsa cell staining kit, wanting to start realistically. 

“I was a little bit sceptical,” she says honestly. “You have that fear that you’re doing this and what if you don’t get any support?” 

Within days of launching her page, she had already raised £135 from friends and family. 

“I only set the page up the day before yesterday,” she says, smiling. “So I’m thrilled there’s already support there.” 

With the support of CEO Lorraine Lee and the wider Capital Space network, Amanda’s fundraising link will also be shared more broadly, extending the sense of community around her efforts at Waterhouse Business Centre. It is a reminder that even individual challenges are rarely taken on alone. 

Finding time for fitness around a busy working day 

As a seasoned professional in the art of quiet consistency, Amanda knows not to turn her daily walks into elaborate training sessions. Instead, she opts to weave them into her daily life. 

Fortunately, Waterhouse Business Centre is located within walking distance from Central Park and the Marconi Ponds nature reserve, which Amandas uses the nearby park for lunchtime laps. Sometimes colleagues join her, but often she walks alone. 

“We’re very fortunate where we’re based. We have a lovely park just around the corner, so I just get changed and off I go,” she says. “It’s really good to get yourself out there in the fresh air. It’s good mentally as well.” 

She prefers to walk without music, allowing space for her thoughts. 

“I do try and power walk,” she says. “But I don’t listen to music. I just walk with my own thoughts and keep going.” 

There is something quietly powerful in that image: steady footsteps, clear air, and time to think. 

Join Amanda’s journey 

For Amanda, this is not simply a challenge confined to March. It is part of a much bigger personal shift. 

“There’s no way I’ll be hanging my trainers back up once March is over,” she says. “This is a lifestyle change for me. Within a year I’ve turned everything around really, and I’ll certainly continue walking.” 

Her message to anyone considering taking part in a future charity challenge is heartfelt and direct: 

“Think about it. Do it. Life is too short for thinking too much. If it’s in your head and you’re able to do it, get out there. Not only are you helping other people, it does you so much good as well. Just get out there and see the beauty of what’s around you.” 

If you would like to support Amanda’s Walk All Over Cancer fundraising efforts, you can donate via her online giving page, and help her reach and exceed her £200 target. 

By choosing to walk every day in March, Amanda is honouring those she has lost, celebrating those who survived, and reminding us all that even the smallest daily steps can carry hope forward. 

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