16 Jul 2026 Community

Friends walk in memory of ‘cheeky chappy’ Michael to raise more than £4,000 for The Kirkwood

The memory of a much loved friend who brought laughter, kindness and colour to so many lives has inspired an incredible fundraising effort for The Kirkwood, with more than 30 people walking from Mirfield to Marsden and raising over £4,000 to support local hospice care.

For Michael's friends and family, the walk was about much more than reaching the finish line. It was a chance to celebrate the life of Michael Dent, remember the happy moments they shared together and give something back to the hospice that cared for him during the final months of his life.

Many of those taking part first met Michael through his role as manager of The Dusty Miller in Longwood, a pub that had become a regular meeting place for friends.

They explained: "We knew Michael through his role as pub manager at our regular haunt, The Dusty Miller at Longwood. Michael was a cheeky chappy, outgoing, funny with a fine fashion sense including a fab collection of colourful patterned shirts!"

Having successfully battled cancer once before, Michael's illness sadly returned. In early 2024, he was forced to stop working after learning this time that he would not recover.

They continued: "Michael was a proud person and, as he lived alone with his lovely family all based up in his native North East, it was a while before we could establish what he needed and how we could help. A group of about 10 of his friends got together to help with transport to appointments, shopping, cleaning and sorting financial support."

With their encouragement, Michael was introduced to The Kirkwood, whose support quickly became invaluable.

"Following his second diagnosis and our intervention we got Michael in touch with the hospice," said one of his friends, Louise Daker. "The Kirkwood were amazing, providing him support at home in a variety of ways, including medical support and provision of equipment."

Later, Michael spent two weeks on The Kirkwood's In-Patient Unit while his pain medication was reviewed. Louise added: "He was spoilt rotten in there and would quite happily have moved in permanently. It was peace of mind for us to know he was being cared for 24/7 and that his extreme pain would be under better control going forward."

Even before Michael's death, his friends were determined to support him however they could. When he was no longer able to work, they organised a charity "barrel roll" between The Travellers Rest in Meltham and The Dusty Miller in Longwood to help with everyday costs.

After Michael passed away, the remaining funds, together with donations collected at his funeral, were given to The Kirkwood.

Wanting to honour the first anniversary of Michael's passing, and with May also being his birthday month, Roger Daker and his friends decided to organise another fundraising event.

The route itself was carefully chosen to reflect Michael's life and the places that held special memories. Roger and his wife Louise started the walk from Mirfield, where their narrowboat had been launched on Michael's birthday back in 2019, with Michael proudly performing the traditional bottle-smashing ceremony.

From there, the group followed the canal towpath through Slaithwaite, where Michael had once lived, before finishing at The Riverhead in Marsden, a place he had loved visiting with friends during his final months, especially for their regular "Wing Wednesdays".

"The day of the walk dawned warm and sunny after days of rain," Louise recalled. "One of Michael's sisters Lisa and his nephew Isaac came down to walk with a gang of Michael's friends. It was a fantastic, enjoyable day."

Before setting off, members of South Pennine Boat Club prepared bacon sandwiches and hot drinks for everyone taking part.

The walkers then stopped at The Rat and Ratchet before enjoying lunch at The Little Bridge in Slaithwaite and finally reaching The Riverhead together.

Along the route they carried collection buckets, meeting many generous members of the public whose own lives had also been touched by The Kirkwood.

The walkers said: "We did a bucket collection en route and heard lovely tales from people who were happy to donate, as The Kirkwood had cared for their loved ones too."

Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone involved, the walk raised more than £4,000 including Gift Aid.

"It means so much to be able to raise all that money in Michael's memory to give back to help such an amazing cause who helped him so much, so that they may keep helping others," the organisers said.

She believes The Kirkwood's impact reaches far beyond the patients it cares for: "The Kirkwood provides an unbelievable service to the people of Kirklees, supporting not only those who are ill, but also their loved ones.”

Louise also praised The Kirkwood's fundraising team for helping make the event such a success: "The fundraising team were great, providing T-shirts and collecting buckets so that the public knew we were 'official'. If anyone is thinking about doing a fundraising event, I would encourage them to do so, and just contact the fundraising team who will provide all the support needed."

As she reflected on the day and everything it represented, Louise had one final message for her dear friend: "Rest in peace Michael. We miss you, but we take solace that you are no longer suffering. May The Kirkwood always be there to help others."

If you'd like to take on your own fundraising challenge just click HERE to find out more information.