From London to the Lakes for Lung Health
Walking and talking for lung health. 850 km. 33 days. One docuseries.
An 850 km walk from Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park to the summit of Scafell Pike, and a docuseries made along the way. Raising awareness, education and vital funds for research and equipment.
16 May – 17 June 2027 · Finishing on Clean Air Day
WHY THIS WALK
We need to talk about our ability to breathe
Lung disease is the UK's third biggest killer, and almost nobody is talking about it or funding it. It doesn't only affect people who smoke, and it doesn't have a certain look.
Air pollution makes it worse, and that burden falls hardest on the poorest communities. 85% of people living in areas with illegal pollution levels are in the poorest 20% of the population.
Figures from Asthma + Lung UK.
7.2 million
people in the UK have asthma
1 in 5
people will experience a lung condition
36,000
early deaths a year are linked to air pollution
2%
of public research funding goes to lung conditions
THE WALK AND TALK
Hyde Park to England's highest point
Thirty-three days on foot from Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park to the summit of Scafell Pike. The walk follows canal towpaths out of London, passes through the cities of the Midlands and the North West, crosses the Peak District and the coast, and finishes in the Lake District.
Start
Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park · Sunday 16 May 2027
Finish
Summit of Scafell Pike · Clean Air Day, Thursday 17 June 2027
About 850 km, 15 to 30 km a day
Self-supported, carrying all kit and mostly camping
Not solo: Emma will be joined along the way by healthcare and air quality experts, high-profile athletes and people with lived experience
Real conversations about how we breathe
Along the way Emma is recording a podcast and docuseries: stories from people living with lung conditions, and conversations with the experts who treat and study them.
THE ROUTE
From city air to mountain air
Thirty-three days on foot from Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park to the summit of Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain. The walk follows canal towpaths out of London, passes through the cities of the Midlands and the North West, crosses the Peak District and the coast, and finishes in the Lake District on Clean Air Day.
THE PODCAST AND DOCUSERIES
Real conversations about how we breathe
Stories from people living with lung conditions, conversations with the experts who treat and study them, and wider talks about health, air pollution policy and the outdoors.
EMMA'S STORY
In 2020 Emma couldn't walk 100 metres. In 2027 she's walking 850 km.
In April 2020 Emma developed what seemed like a chest infection but within weeks she could no longer walk 100 metres. It was adult-onset asthma. Waking up gasping for air became normal, and she began to dread going to sleep and to fear any kind of movement.
For several years her asthma was hard to control. After repeated trips to A&E, many specialists and countless tests, she was diagnosed with severe refractory eosinophilic asthma, a stubborn form of the condition driven by overactive white blood cells.
In 2023, after five exacerbations, she qualified for a biologic injection. It changed everything. Her asthma is now well managed, and she wants to use that second chance to get the whole country talking about lung health.
THE FUNDRAISING MISSION
£500,000
Split 50/50 between two charities helping people breathe: research, campaigns and support from Asthma + Lung UK, and life-changing equipment from The Asthma Relief Charity.
How your donation could help
£20
provides a year pack of nebuliser face mask/mouthpiece kits and filters through Asthma Relief.
£100
helps 57 people to raise their voices and call on the government to improve respiratory care through one of the Asthma + Lung UK campaigns.
£190
places and supports a mains or battery operated nebuliser through Asthma Relief.
£660
provides an eFlow Rapid nebuliser inhalation device (often used to treat cystic fibrosis in children) through Asthma Relief.
£1,000
places and supports 5 nebulisers through Asthma Relief.
£1,624
funds a week of the best research to find new solutions to the biggest challenges in asthma prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
£1,900
enables Asthma Relief to place and support 10 nebulisers.
£2,800
funds a FeNO device (an important tool used to help diagnose asthma and other lung conditions) through Asthma Relief.
£3,097
runs the Asthma + Lung UK helpline for a day, enabling Healthcare Advisors, Respiratory Nurse Specialists, a Dietician and a Physiotherapist to provide life-changing advice and support in response to approximately 58 enquiries.
Asthma + Lung UK
The nation's leading respiratory charity. It funds groundbreaking research, campaigns nationally for cleaner air and runs a vital nurse-led helpline for the millions of people living with lung conditions.
Registered charity 326730
The Asthma Relief Charity
Gives medical equipment directly to people struggling to breathe. Founded in 1997, it donates over 1,500 medical-grade nebulisers and other equipment every year to individuals, hospitals, surgeries and community nursing teams. It receives no government funding.
Registered charity 1063965