The UK–India Friendship Walk
Walking 95 kilometres for children, friendship and hope
The UK–India Friendship Walk · 2010
In 2010, shortly after Slumdog Secret Millionaire aired, Seema received an unexpected message from Jill Beckingham, wife of Peter Beckingham, the British Deputy High Commissioner to India at the time. Jill had watched the programme and reached out with an invitation: to join her on the historic UK–India Friendship Walk — a 358-kilometre, 17-day journey along Mahatma Gandhi’s historic Sabarmati to Dandi Salt March route, undertaken to raise funds for charity.
Seema flew to India and walked 95km beside Jill for four days, through villages, fields and long stretches of open road. Along the way, they met families living in deep poverty, children who travelled miles for school, and women who carried extraordinary strength despite hardship. The walk was physically demanding, but it was also profoundly moving — a reminder of the resilience, dignity and hope that define so many communities across India.
For Seema, the experience was a turning point. It deepened her connection to India, strengthened her belief in grassroots organisations, and reinforced the idea that meaningful change begins with walking alongside people, not ahead of them.
The UK–India Friendship Walk remains one of the early threads in Child Action’s story — not just a fundraiser but a journey of solidarity, friendship and commitment that continues today through our partnerships in Mumbai’s street and slum communities.