A grandson is raising money for Royal Star & Garter to thank the charity for the “amazing care” it provided for his grandmother before she died.

Oliver Taylor is walking the Cotswold Way in both directions – a total of 204 miles – in memory of Doreen Shepherd. He hopes to raise £1,500.

Doreen was a resident at Royal Star & Garter’s Surbiton Home for two months until her death in April this year, aged 96. During that short time, Oliver and his family were regular visitors and were blown away by the care she received.

The 21-year-old began his fundraiser in February and hopes to complete it by the end of summer.

Royal Star & Garter is a charity which provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their families living with disability or dementia, from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing. It also runs services reaching out into the community including Day Care, Lunch Club and a national Telephone Friendship Service.

Doreen qualified for Royal Star & Garter through her husband Chris, who was a Corporal in the Army. He had always insisted if Doreen was unable to care for him that he’d like to live at Royal Star & Garter. He died in 2001 but his family remembered his high regards for the charity and, after Doreen’s health deteriorated in 2025, she moved to the Home in February 2026.

‘We were able to enjoy our last few weeks together’

Oliver said: “Nanny Doreen’s health was declining and she came to Royal Star & Garter straight from hospital, and the care she received was amazing. Before, she had been living on her own and it been so difficult for to cope and for us to look after her. But at Royal Star & Garter she had amazing people around her who made her comfortable and happy. And it meant we had our Nanny back – we weren’t her carers anymore and we were able to enjoy our last few weeks together, rather than caring for her.”

He continued: “Coming to Royal Star & Garter was a god-send for Nanny and our family. I want to raise money so that other families in a similar position to us also have the same amazing experience we did at Royal Star & Garter. Nanny Doreen was an amazing woman and wholly deserved the amazing care she was given.”

Helena Maher, Home Manager at Surbiton. She said: “Doreen was only with us a few weeks but in that short time she became a much-loved member of our Home. She adored her visits from her family, and we’re touched to know how much our care meant to them, and that Oliver is now raising money for Royal Star & Garter in memory of his beloved Nanny Doreen.”

To sponsor Oliver, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/oliver-taylor-1215

Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, its other services or to work at the Home, go to www.starandgarter.org/surbiton