Raising money for worthy causes through walking & talking
It is well-publicised that athletes from all sports often suffer from mental illness. This can happen during a career but is particularly common after retirement from a professional sport.
Whilst mental health awareness and understanding are improving, we found that going out for a walk really does help to improve levels of stress and anxiety that can be built up over time.
Walking and talking can have many benefits, including weight loss, reduced anxiety and stress relief.
Our charity was founded by a group of ex-professional footballers and their friends. We got together to try to raise awareness of mental health issues arising after retirement from sport, but things blossomed into us supporting the wider mental health community and other local charities.
News & events
Follow the latest fundraising news and events from #walkingsbrilliant here. You can also follow us on Twitter for the latest news.
2026 Walkings Brilliant Golf Day @ Tankersley Park GC
We returned to Tankersley Park Golf Club once again this year for our annual charity golf day On a sweltering day with a solar eclipse to finish, our golfers once again enjoyed this fun-packed day of golf and entertainment. After breakfast sandwiches, coffee (or beer), and a quick registration, the players took to the course to compete as teams of four. This year, the format was Texas Scramble, which always makes for a fun day out there. This year's overall winners were the Barny Army, led by former Darlington and Doncaster Rovers player Mark Barnard. The runners-up were Rapid Response A, led by former Leeds and Sheffield United player Matt Kilgallon. In third place overall was GBR Solutions, led by former Blade and Toffee, Carl Tiler. Following the golf, guests were entertained by MC Pete Emmett, who delivered, as always. We also had stories from Mark Crossley, Chris Kirkland, Jon Parkin and former referee Kevin Lynch, amongst others. The night was finished off with a hilarious set from organiser Gary Marshall, who had the [...]
£4000 Donation to Doncaster Royal Infirmary Urology Dept.
The team at WalkingsBrilliant recently held two variety afternoons in Doncaster. The events were a big success and helped raise vital funds towards the Walkings Brilliant pot. This time, £ 4,000 was donated to the Urology Department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Pictured is Gary Marshall presenting the donation to the hardworking team at DRI.
Cash for Kids £300
We recently auctioned off a signed Kevin Keegan shirt, which raised £300 for Cash for Kids. Cash for Kids is dedicated to giving disadvantaged children and young people across the UK the chance to thrive, tackling poverty, illness, and neglect, easing the challenges of additional needs, and offering a helping hand to families with nowhere else to turn.
England Walking Football
We recently donated funds to help the England Over 60s Walking Football team purchase a new kit for an international tournament. The squad advocates for mental health among people aged 55 to 70. The team competed against 16 other countries and is currently in the quarter-finals. We wish them luck in bringing home the silverware!
Walkings Brilliant Golf Day @ Tankersley Park GC
We returned to Tankersley Park Golf Club again this year for our much-loved annual charity golf day. On World Suicide Prevention Day, which perfectly aligned with our mission and objectives, our teams of golfers, accompanied by their celebrity, took to the course to compete for honours and excellent prizes. Twenty-eight teams of golfers took part this year, with each team consisting of three golfers and a celebrity. The day started with a downpour, but that soon cleared and the sun was out in South Yorkshire. After enjoying a bacon sandwich, coffee, and a few beers, the teams headed out to the course to their designated tee in a shotgun start format. Some excellent golf (and some not so great) was played, with the winning team, GBR Solutions, taking the honours, closely followed by One Hit Wonders, with Smarttrax A in third. Our wooden spoon prize went to 50 Shades. The nearest pin was won by Jon Thompson, the nearest pin in two went to One Hit Wonders and the 'closest to the line' was [...]
Charity Golf Day @ Doncaster Golf Club
Our popular annual golf day returned to Doncaster Golf Club in July with a host of local golfers joining celebrities for a day of golf, comedy, great food and a few beers! Our winning team this year was Oaktree, followed closely by Rapid Response 'B' in second place. Our best celebrity player on the day was Oli McBurnie. In total over £12,000 was raised for our chosen charities. Thank you to everyone who made the day a success.