On Saturday 6th September, the Haggerty family led more than 35 walkers on a moving 15-mile trek, uniting loved ones and supporters in memory of four siblings lost too soon.
The Haggerty Memory Walk began in Audenshaw, climbed to Hartshead Pike, and finished at Glossop Cemetery, where the brothers and sisters now rest side by side. The event, organised by Jonathan Haggerty, raised over £3,000 including Gift Aid for the mental health charity Mind. But for the family, the day was about much more than fundraising.
The walk carried a powerful story of loss and resilience. In 2014, Jonathan’s younger brother James died in a moped accident in Cyprus. In 2021, sister Victoria tragically took her own life. In January 2023, big brother Gareth also died by suicide, followed just two months later by sister Danielle.
Jonathan admits that “it would have been easy to give up on everything,” but instead he and his loved ones chose to honour their siblings through action. Around 30 to 40 people joined the route at different stages, from the full distance to just the final stretch.
One of the most poignant moments came near the end of the walk, when the family’s grandmothers, Beryl 86 and Val 80, joined the group at Glossop Cemetery to take part in the moving tribute.
The day closed on a celebratory note at the Prince of Wales pub in Glossop, where local band Soul Slider, close friends of the family, played a special set. They performed Photograph, a song they wrote in memory of James.
Jonathan hopes the walk will become an annual tradition, raising funds for good causes while ensuring his siblings’ names are never forgotten.
Donations can still be made at: justgiving.com/page/jonathan-haggerty-5
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