As a church-goer, he has attended services wherever he happened to be on a Sunday morning and is often asked to speak to the congregation.

He said: "It's just wonderful because they haven't heard me before so most of them invite me to say a few words and then, about an hour later, they think 'well, that was interesting, wasn't it? I need a coffee!'"

He found he needed a coffee on the last morning of his walk, and one of the "little angels" who have "popped up all over the place" during his journey came to the rescue with a cup.

It turned out the angel's name was also Derek - "They're always kind people, these Dereks," mused Mr Adams.

As well as raising money, he hopes his cheerful approach will inspire others: "Look after each other, smile a lot, it doesn't cost anything but it's very, very infectious."