Poole brothers Robbie and Ashley Cowler are preparing to walk 312 miles from Anfield in Liverpool to Hamworthy to raise money towards specialist cancer treatment for their father, Nigel Cowler. The challenge begins on 12 October 2026 and is expected to finish in Poole on 24 October, when a charity fundraising night will also take place in Hamworthy.
6th October 2026
Two brothers from Poole are preparing to walk more than 300 miles across the country in an extraordinary fundraising challenge for their father.
Robbie and Ashley Cowler will set off from the Shankly Gates at Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium before walking approximately 312 miles back to their home in Hamworthy.
The challenge is part of the family's fundraising efforts for their dad, Nigel Cowler, 51, who is living with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
For a family of lifelong Liverpool supporters, the choice of starting point has particular meaning - with the club's famous message of You'll Never Walk Alone taking on a much more personal significance.
Robbie and Ashley are due to leave Anfield on 12 October 2026, beginning a journey expected to last 12 consecutive days.
The brothers plan to cover roughly 20 to 25 miles each day, crossing six counties before arriving back in Hamworthy on 24 October.
By the time they reach Poole, they are expected to have completed the equivalent of around 12 marathons and more than half a million steps.
Robbie said the challenge is about doing everything possible to give his dad more time with his family.
Nigel is a father of three and grandfather of four, with his partner Barbara and the wider family supporting both his treatment and the fundraising campaign.
The family is working towards an overall fundraising target of £360,000 to help Nigel access specialist cancer treatment and care.
According to the family, they had hoped he would be able to join a treatment programme in the United States without facing the full financial cost. However, they say the programme closed shortly before he was able to access it.
They are now fundraising privately towards treatment while continuing to share Nigel's story and raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.
For Robbie and Ashley, the walk is their way of turning an extremely difficult situation into something practical.
The brothers have described their goal not simply in terms of treatment, but in the hope of having more birthdays, Christmases, family meals and everyday moments together.
The starting point at Anfield was no coincidence.
Robbie, Ashley and Nigel are all lifelong Liverpool FC supporters, making the Shankly Gates a particularly significant place for the challenge to begin.
The words associated with the club, You'll Never Walk Alone, have also become a message behind the fundraising effort as the family rallies around Nigel.
Their route will take them from Liverpool south towards Dorset before eventually reaching Poole and their finish line in Hamworthy.
The walk is expected to finish on Saturday 24 October, when supporters will be able to welcome Robbie and Ashley back to Poole.
A charity night is being organised at the Lakeside Social Club on Lake Road in Hamworthy to mark the end of their journey and continue fundraising for Nigel.
The family is also sharing updates from the challenge through the Cowler Bros' social media channels, allowing supporters to follow the brothers as they make their way from Anfield to Poole.
What begins beneath the Shankly Gates will ultimately end much closer to home - after 312 miles walked for one very personal reason.
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