Group walks from Costa Coffee in Northgate, Newark to Costa Coffee in Lincoln city centre to raise funds for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

A group of 15 friends and family walked from ‘Costa to Costa’ to raise over £2,000 in memory of a much-loved family member and friend.

The 18-mile walk, in aid of Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), was organised by Lisa McQuaid, of Farndon, and Nicola McNaught, of Balderton, in memory of Lisa’s cousin Lewis McQuaid, from Newark.

Lewis died by suicide in April 2022 aged 27, having struggled with his mental health for several years. He had also been diagnosed with autism.

After his death, his father Ian set up Lew’s Roots — a charity aiming to encourage people with mental health issues, autism or those feeling lonely, to grow chilli plants, either from a seed or a small plant.

The charity walk, which took place on Sunday (October 5), saw the group walk from Costa Coffee at Newark Maltings Retaik Park, all the way to Costa Coffee in Lincoln city centre, taking in villages including Winthorpe, Langford, Collingham, Swinderby, and South Hykeham.

They made a quick stop at the Costa Coffee at the Asda in North Hykeham, where once again they had a drink in Lewis’s memory, before continuing the journey to the final Costa Coffee in Lincoln.

The ‘Costa to Costa’ challenge idea came as a nod to Lewis’s love of the coffee chain’s hot drinks.

“Lewis loved a Costa, mainly a mocha, so the decision to walk from Costa to Costa was meaningful, yet still challenging,” said Aimee McQuaid, Lewis’s cousin and Lisa’s sister.

Amiee has thanked the Costa Coffee team in each of their three venues for their support, and they were even given a free mocha for Lewis, as if to share the experience with him.

The fundraising page, set up by Nicola, had an initial target of £500, but the charity walk has raised over £2,000.

People can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/page/nicola-mcnaught-8?utm_source=FB?utm_campaign=009.

On the fundraising page, Nicola explained how at least 50% of the friend group has been directly impacted by suicide, from fathers and fathers-in-law to cousins, and with their fundraising walk they want to make a difference and help raise funds for an ‘important cause’.

Amiee added: “Lewis would be happy to know we did this for him.

“He wasn’t a man of many words, but he would have been happy.”

Lisa is already working on putting together another fundraising walk for April next year, as it would be four years since Lewis’s death.

Samaritans offer FREE round-the-clock, confidential support to anyone that wants to talk through their problems. Call Samaritans on 116 123, calls are free from any phone, or visit www.samaritans.org to find out about the wide-ranging support on offer from Samaritans and other organisations.