The Salt Path: Worthing man to walk in memory of friend who died from cancer

Steve Binstead, from Goring, aims to complete the 630-mile walk from June 7 until mid-July.

All funds raised will go to Cancer Research – a charity close to Steve’s heart after the death of friend Pete Empson, who died last year at the age of 57.

Steve said now is the perfect time to undertake the challenge, having just retired. He worked for 41 years for Worthing-based financial services company Equiniti.

The walk is from the book and film, The Salt Path – starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs – which is out in cinemas.

On a JustGiving page, Steve Binstead wrote: “On 7th June I will begin walking the South West Coast Path which is England’s longest single trail stretching 630 miles (1014 km). I hope to complete the route in six weeks, walking solo and camping along the way (with the occasional B&B stop to wash my socks and pants!).

"I am taking on this challenge in memory of my friend Pete Empson, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and died on 11th June 2024 at the age of 57.

"His life was cut short far too soon. He was a good friend. I miss him a great deal.

“I will be raising money for Cancer Research UK so that the vital work they do will benefit those effected by cancer in the future and continue to improve survival rates. Every two minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime.

"For the past 120 years, Cancer Research UK has been making discoveries that save lives and In the last 50 years, they've helped double cancer survival in the UK.​

“Any donation, no matter the size would mean the world to me and provide extra motivation to make every one of those 630 miles count. It's an honour to do the walk in Pete’s name. A fitting tribute to a kind man who always put others first.”

The Salt Path, originally written by Raynor Winn, tells the story of her and terminally ill husband Moth’s journey along Britain’s longest National Trail.

In the film, Gillian Anderson stars as Raynor and Jason plays the part of Moth.

The South West Coast Path starts at Minehead in Somerset, runs along the Devon and Cornwall coastlines, and ends at Poole, Dorset.

Who was Pete Empson?

Father-of-two Pete died on June 11, 2024 – 13 months after he was diagnosed with cancer.

The music and film enthusiast – who worked as a senior director at Paramount+ – leaves behind his wife, Nicky, and two grown-up children, Sam and Holly.

Nicky said: “Pete was a real gentleman. I think that’s how people tend to talk about him.

“He was really good fun and very kind. He was really into his music. He collected vinyl records and loved film.

"He loved his job and he had an overwhelming reaction to his cancer diagnosis from his company. Hundreds of people did video messages for him. In his last days, he was able to sit and watch these amazing tributes.

"We've got a wide circle of friends in Worthing. It was quite a shock for everyone when he died.”

Pete and Nicky celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in April 2024.

It was at this time, they were planning a house move from West Worthing to Findon – but Pete died before they arrived at their new home.

“About six weeks after Pete's funeral, I moved with my two grown up children to Findon – with the most phenomenal support from my brother, Philip, and all my fantastic friends,” Nicky said. “They were just superb.”

Among those friends was Steve, whose upcoming challenge would have left Pete ‘over the moon’, Nicky said.

“It's an amazing thing for somebody to do,” Nicky added.

“They were very similar in age – there was about a month between them – and we'd spent many years celebrating their joint milestone birthdays together.

"We've both got two kids, a boy and a girl of a similar sort of age – so they've grown up together.”

Steve said: “I've known Nicky and Pete for about 25 years. When he was ill and died so suddenly, it was a real shock for everyone.

"Father’s Day is coming up and I've always wanted to do something in his memory and raise a bit of money for cancer research – so the two ideas came together.

"I've been planning it for the last six months. I retired on Friday and I start next Friday.

“Clearly, you need time for a challenge like this. Most people do the path in stages. You need a lot of time to do it in one go.

"But that's part of the challenge and I always saw it as a bit of a transition from a very busy working life.

“It’s a complete departure from the stresses and strains of work to just going for a very simple walk.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but reality really hit hard yesterday (Sunday) when I saw the film, which has just come out in the cinemas. It’s a tough walk.”

Within three weeks of launching the JustGiving page, Steve has raised more than £3,700.

“I'm hoping we can raise £5,000,” he said.

“I’ve had some very generous donations and there's some lovely, kind words from people to give me all the encouragement I need to do the walk in Pete's name.

"He was a lovely, kind man. He always put other people first and was very much a devoted father. He was funny with a great sense of humour.

"Once you got to know Pete, he became a very close friend.

"Despite what he was going through, he was very positive and was making plans for the future with Nicky, Sam and Holly.

“He put on an amazing, brave face. When the end came, it very sad and I just miss him a great deal.

"If we can do something in his name and raise some more money for Cancer Research, it just reduces the chances of someone else having what Pete had and increasing their chances of survival. I think that's a very fitting tribute to Pete.”

If you would like to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/steves630insix

The Salt Path was adapted for the big screen by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. It also marks the moviemaking debut of four-time Tony Award–winning theatre director Marianne Elliott. 

Author Raynor Winn said: “I'm so looking forward to people seeing the film adaptation of our story. The SWCP is more than just a path, it's a transformative landscape, both challenging and healing, and available to all of us. I'm incredibly proud to be an ambassador for the charity, helping raise awareness of the support needed for the path to remain open and accessible for everyone to enjoy."

The South West Coast Path is a freely accessible walking / hiking trail, as per www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk.

The website added: “It can be accessed from many points along its 630 mile route and can be walked in small sections or longer sections. There are also many circular walks that can be undertaken or walks that link in with public transport. Check out the Walks section on the South West Coast Path website for a range of walks along the path.”

To find out more about The Salt Path, visit www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/about-coast-path/the-salt-path/