IN memory of his father, a popular Cirencester musician who died last month, a man is to walk almost 200 miles across the width of England to raise thousands for The Foundation for Liver Research.

In June, Colin Lea will spend two weeks walking 192 miles from one side of the country to the other, across three national parks and ascending more than 9,000m – higher than Mount Everest in the hopes of raising £3,500.

On Boxing Day, Colin’s dad Frederick Lea died at the age of 71 from end stage liver disease, and he wants to help fund further research into what is the fifth biggest killer in the UK.

“This is an appalling disease,” said Colin, 38, a business development director from Buckinghamshire.

“Most people will know of liver disease and immediately connect it with alcohol, and of course that is one cause. But in dad’s case, like many others, alcohol was not the cause.

“Whilst a huge amount of research is done into heart disease, all too little is focussed on liver research.

“I was shocked by this, but was encouraged to read of potential new treatments on the horizon that, if research is funded, could help many thousands of people, even though it is too late for dad.”

For 30 years, the foundation has developed and extended ground-breaking research into diseases of the human liver under the direction of Prof Roger Williams CBE within the purpose-built Institute of Hepatology in central London.

Colin said: “I have already raised £2,000 through the generosity of mourners at the funeral, givers to Justgiving page and a headline sponsorship from the transport consultancy CH2M – who have themselves pledged £1,000.

Frederick was a guitarist and songwriter for popular Cirencester bands The Corals and Wild Silk in the 1960s and 70s, and later became a successful artist and illustrator.

Specialising in railway paintings, he retired from a 30 year career in the civil service in 1996 to take up his hobby full-time and was quickly accepted into the Guild of Railway Artists, opening up a studio in Cheltenham.

Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/fredericklea to sponsor Colin.