Hollioake prepares for 2000-mile trek

Adam Hollioake is to embark on a 2000-mile journey from Edinburgh to Tangiers in northern Morocco, to help raise money for the Ben Hollioake Memorial Fund. The fund was set up in memory of his brother, who died in a car crash in Perth, Western Australia, in March 2002, aged just 24.

In order to raise money for the fund, Adam will walk, cycle and sail in a trip that is expected to take two months. He will leave Edinburgh on October 2, and all the funds raised will go towards honouring a pledge made by the Hollioake family to raise £5 million (US$8 million) in five years for the CHASE Children's Hospice Service in London.

CHASE works in support of children who are not expected to reach their 19th birthday. Adam, who turns 32 on Friday, said: "I got involved with CHASE over the last six years but I was a fairly fair-weather charity supporter just doing the odd piece of shirt-signing.

"But this is the biggest thing I have been involved with charity-wise. Ben was very similar to me, just signing a few shirts, but he had helped out with this charity before and so it seemed appropriate to choose CHASE."

Hollioake will be accompanied by the European heavyweight boxing champion Scott Welch, and the Lancashire cricketer Ian Sutcliffe. John Major, a lifelong Surrey fan, will be joining him at some point on the UK walking phase, along with members of the current England squad.

Hollioake aims to complete 594 miles over 28 days, at an average of nearly 30 miles per day. "I was involved in choosing the route," he explained. "I wanted to travel a long way."

On November 1, at Brighton Marina, Hollioake and his companions will set sail from Brighton for Dieppe in France, on board the Ocean Youth Trust boat. They then cycle from Dieppe to Gibraltar via the southwestern French town of Perpignan, and from Gibraltar to Tangiers by boat.

"We would like to raise 5 million to pay for the building of a new day centre for CHASE," Hollioake explained. "This should also cover the initial running costs."