Haggerty family take on 15-mile memory walk to honour siblings lost too soon

Some families are tested in ways that seem impossible to bear. For the Haggertys, the last decade has brought unimaginable loss - yet also an unshakable determination to turn grief into something powerful, hopeful, and life-affirming.

On Saturday 6th September, brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, friends, Army veterans, and members of the local community will come together for the Haggerty Memory Walk, a 15-mile trek from Audenshaw to Hartshead Pike and on to Glossop Cemetery, where four Haggerty siblings now rest side by side.

The event will raise funds for Mind, the mental health charity, but its purpose runs far deeper than fundraising. As Jonathan Haggerty explains: “We’ll be walking, talking, remembering all the good times. It’s about celebrating their lives, keeping their memory alive, and doing something positive in their names.”

The story behind the walk is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring.

In June 2014, the youngest brother, James, died in a moped accident in Cyprus. His fiancée, Mariel, survived but suffered life-changing injuries.

Seven years later, in September 2021, tragedy struck again when Jonathan’s sister Victoria took her own life.

Then came January 2023, when Jonathan’s big brother and best friend Gareth also died by suicide. And just two months later, in March 2023, their sister Danielle lost her life.

It is a series of losses so severe that, as Jonathan puts it: “It would have been easy to give up on everything. But instead, we want to keep moving forward, keep doing things they would have been proud of.”

The walk’s route is steeped in personal meaning. In 2022, Jonathan and Gareth completed a 24-hour walk to raise money for Willow Wood Hospice. Part of that route took them from Audenshaw up to Hartshead Pike - a section they will repeat for this year’s event.

From there, the group will trek onwards to Glossop Cemetery, the final resting place of all four siblings.

“We raised £3,250 for Willow Wood on that 24-hour walk,” Jonathan recalls. “Then last year I did four half marathons, one for each of them, and raised a similar amount. But this time I wanted to do something where we could all take part together, not just runners or people who train all the time, but anyone who wants to be there, even if it’s just for a short stretch.”

Jonathan estimates at least 30 people will join in at various stages, from family and friends to strangers moved by the story. The walk is designed so people can “dip in and out” - joining for the full 15 miles, just half, or even just the last few metres.

One of the most poignant moments will come near the end, when the Haggertys’ 86-year-old grandmother meets the walkers at the cemetery.

“She tells everyone she’s not as good on her legs these days,” Jonathan smiles, “so my auntie will drive her there, and we’ll push her in a wheelchair for the last bit. She wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The walk will also bring together many of Gareth’s Army comrades, with whom he served. Geoff Haggerty, Jonathan’s father, says it will mean a great deal to see them there: “Gareth did so much for others - Walking for the Wounded, sleeping out at the Etihad to raise money for veterans. Jonathan’s been the same, always doing charity events. It’s in their nature. This is a way to carry that on.”

The emotional day will end on a high note. At the Prince of Wales pub in Glossop, local band Soul Slider will perform a special gig. One of their members grew up with the Haggertys, and the band has a deeply personal connection to the family.

“When James died, they wrote a song called 'Photograph' in his memory,” Geoff says. “They’ll be playing it that night. I know it’s going to be emotional, but it’ll also be really heartwarming.”

The band’s performance will serve as a celebration, a chance for the walkers to rest, share stories, and raise a final toast to the four lives at the heart of the event.

While Jonathan hopes to raise as much as previous events, he stresses that the day is about more than the total on the JustGiving page.

“Mental health, especially for men, is still something people don’t talk about enough,” he says. “We want to break that silence. Just walking and talking together - that’s part of the healing. We’ll be chatting about the good times, remembering the funny stories, and hopefully helping others feel less alone.”

The family hope to carry on raising money in memory of the siblings, potentially making it an annual tradition, keeping their loved ones’ names alive while supporting good causes.

Jonathan adds: “Everyone knows what’s happened to our family. Over the years the paper has covered Danielle’s story, she was an organ donor, and the hospital even created a mural in her memory. This walk is another way of making sure none of them are ever forgotten.”

The Haggerty Memory Walk is open to anyone who wants to join for any part of the journey.

The family have set up a JustGiving page, with all proceeds going to Mind. To donate, visit: justgiving.com/page/jonathan-haggerty-5

Geoff and Jonathan Haggerty with the artwork in memory of Danielle at Tameside Hospital.