---
title: "Kit Birks wins Pride of Britain regional award"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/stories/kit-birks-europe-walk-pride-of-britain-2026/
sourceName: "ITV News Meridian"
sourceUrl: "https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-09-07/adventurer-becomes-first-person-to-walk-length-of-europe-for-suicide-prevention"
datePublished: 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z
dateModified: 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z
---

# Kit Birks wins Pride of Britain regional award

Kit Birks, a former nurse from Andover, won ITV Meridian West and Thames Valley's 2026 Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year award. She walked nearly 5,000 miles from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean in 343 days. The walk raised more than £100,000 for the suicide prevention charities CALM and James' Place.

## What happened?

Kit Birks, a former nurse from Andover, won ITV Meridian West and Thames Valley's Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year award for 2026.

Birks walked nearly 5,000 miles, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean. ITV reports that she became the first person to walk the entire length of Europe. She raised more than £100,000 for suicide prevention.

## What did the walk involve?

The walk took 343 days. Birks spent 210 nights in a tent and 308 days completely alone. She walked through heatwaves, swarms of mosquitoes and snowstorms. Hundreds of thousands of people followed her daily updates on social media.

Sandy Loder, a former British Army officer and performance coach, advised her on staying safe. He said it was remarkable for someone with so little experience of long wilderness walks. After about two weeks, he said, "you definitely saw the resilience and the grit come in her."

## Why did she do it?

Birks has spoken openly about living with mental illness and addiction for many years, from the age of 11 or 12. She reached a point of crisis before her recovery. She wants others to know that life can get better.

"I'm not different," she said. "I'm just a person that managed to get to the other side."

## Where did the money go?

The money went to two charities:

- **Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)**, whose mission is to "help people end their misery, not their lives".
- **James' Place**, which offers free treatment to men in suicidal crisis. Clare Milford Haven set it up in memory of her son.

"What Kit has raised for us will help over 20 men," Milford Haven said.

## Where to get support

If you are struggling, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, at any time. In an emergency, call 999.

The founders of [Andy's Man Club](/stories/andys-man-club-founders-pride-of-britain-2026/) also won a 2026 award for suicide prevention. [See every 2026 Pride of Britain winner and regional finalist](/explainers/pride-of-britain-2026-winners/).

## Reporting notes

We checked ITV News Meridian's report of 9 September 2026 and its winners' announcement of 11 September 2026. ITV reports that she became the first person to walk the entire length of Europe; we have not verified that record independently. We follow Samaritans' guidance for reporting on suicide.

## Sources

- [ITV News Meridian · 9 September 2026](https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-09-07/adventurer-becomes-first-person-to-walk-length-of-europe-for-suicide-prevention): Interview with Birks, her coach and a co-founder of James' Place.
- [ITV News Meridian · 11 September 2026](https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-09-11/daily-mirror-pride-of-britain-2026-itv-meridian-east-and-west-winners-revealed): Announces Birks as the Meridian West and Thames Valley winner, with comments from Dame Kelly Holmes.

## Common questions

### Which charities did Kit Birks raise money for?

The money went to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and James' Place, a charity that offers free treatment to men in suicidal crisis.

### What will the money do?

Clare Milford Haven, co-founder of James' Place, told ITV that the money Birks raised for the charity will help more than 20 men.

Primary source: [ITV News Meridian](https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-09-07/adventurer-becomes-first-person-to-walk-length-of-europe-for-suicide-prevention)