By Eddie Bisknell

RAPTUROUS applause greeted two charity fundraisers as they arrived in Stonehouse after completing a mammoth fundraising walk.

Steve Dayman, 68, founder of Stroud-based Meningitis Now, and close friend Steve Fear, 63, started their 344-mile journey on October 8 and the trek has already raised more than £21,000.

They organised the challenge, which started in Northumberland, to mark the 30th anniversary of Meningitis Now.

Arriving in Stonehouse on Monday, Steve Dayman said: “I met so many people and well-wishers along the way that it just drove me on.

“We had a few heavy showers and it was a bit cold but the sun warmed us up.

“My enthusiasm hasn’t dampened at all but the journey continues.”

Steve has been a dedicated charity supporter for more than 30 years since the loss of his 14-month-old son Spencer to meningococcal meningitis in 1982.

He still has Spencer’s teddy, Sonny, which he took with him on the walk, which averaged 20 miles a day.

“Back then, there were no organisations to represent the disease so I’ve dedicated my life to help create a better understanding of the condition,” he said.

“We were the first charity to address this awful disease and since then we have funded more than £12 million of preventative research and supported thousands of families whose lives have been devastated by meningitis.”

Steve Fear lost his niece to the disease in 1993 and has been a long-standing friend of Steve Dayman ever since, accompanying him on several fundraising walks such as Land’s End to John O’Groats in 1994.

Over the years, Steve Dayman has raised more than £2 million for meningitis charities.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped make this anniversary walk happen, and in particular everybody who has donated along the way – it’s through their generosity that we’ll make an impact on this devastating disease,” he said.

Meningitis Now chief executive Liz Brown said: “Steve has been crucial to the fight against meningitis. Without his friends and family we wouldn’t be here today.”