KPMG staff go the distance for Marie Curie charity walk

Consultants from the UK wing of KPMG have concluded an epic journey, in the service of end-of-life charity Marie Curie. The dedicated staff walked thousands of kilometres collectively over the summer, raising more than £320,000 in the process.

Established in 1948, the same year as the National Health Service, Marie Curie is a registered charitable organisation in the UK which provides care and support to people living with a terminal illness and those close to them. Marie Curie also campaigns on issues affecting people living with a terminal illness, their families and carers, and it's the largest charitable UK funder of palliative and end of life care research.

In 2021, Marie Curie was announced as KPMG UK’s national charity partner, and the firm has been working to support the charity’s mission ever since. The firm set out to raise £1 million for the charity in the following two years, and as part of those efforts, KPMG has re-dedicated its ‘Big Walks’ events to raising funds for Marie Curie.

Across the UK, KPMG’s Big Walks encourage the firm’s staff to lace up their boots, and head to one of ten locations ranging from Aberdeen to Plymouth. As well as following the paths of varying lengths, KPMG also gives its staff the chance to go the distance in whatever way suits them best. That includes swimming, cycling, rowing or running.

Over the course of June and July, the third annual edition of Big Walks saw 5,300 KPMG colleagues across the country participate, in a bid to cover a combined distance of 75,000 kilometres. In the end, they shattered that target, covering a remarkable 94,000 kilometres in total – or equivalent of twice the circumference of the planet, according to a release from KPMG. Around 34,000 kilometres of that was racked up by 180 people taking on their own variation of a big distance challenge, involving an alternative mode of travel. 

KPMG UK Head of Corporate Affairs Rachel Hopcroft commented, “This is our third annual Big Walks series, our second in aid of Marie Curie, and year-on-year more colleagues have stepped up. Having taken on the challenge myself, the walks didn’t just help raise funds for a cause close to all our hearts, but they are a brilliant opportunity to connect with colleagues outside of the office and give our mental and physical wellbeing the attention it deserves too. I’m simply in awe of those that took on their own challenge and covered such staggering distances.”

The walkers, swimmers, sailors and all used their journeys to try and inspire sponsorship from the public. This has so far seen them raise over £320,000 Marie Curie. This amount could help fund 16,000 hours of vital nursing care for someone with a terminal illness, according to Marie Curie CEO Matthew Reed.

Speaking on the consultants’ efforts, Reed added, “We are thrilled that KPMG colleagues across the UK have smashed their targets and have raised £320,000 for Marie Curie at this year’s KPMG Big Walks! We are so proud of our partnership with KPMG which continues to go from strength to strength. On behalf of the families Marie Curie supports, thank you all very much indeed.”