The grandchildren of much-loved Liphook character Michael Potter — known affectionately around town as ‘Mick the Brick’ — will run a half-marathon this Saturday in his memory, raising funds for a charity close to their hearts.

Siblings Tash (23) and Jake Cunningham (20), who live locally, will set off from their grandmother’s grave in Chiddingfold and run to Liphook Working Men’s Club, one of their grandfather’s favourite haunts. They are expected to arrive in Liphook around midday, where they will raise a pint in his honour.

Mick, who died earlier this year aged 86, was a well-known figure in the area. A former Army man and lifelong Liphook resident, he earned his nickname for his work as a local bricklayer and could often be seen driving around the village in his van, waving at familiar faces. He was a regular presence at the Liphook Carnival — often chauffeuring the Carnival Queen — and loved classic cars, travelling to Greece, and enjoying a pint and a pork pie with friends.

His granddaughter Tash said: “Our Grandad Mick was a man of character and terrible jokes — but more than anything, he was our Grandad, and we cherished every second we had with him. He’s missed not just by his family but by everyone who shared a pint with him or lived in one of the homes he helped build.”

Mick was diagnosed in February with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare and degenerative neurological disease that affects balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. It is caused by increasing damage to brain cells over time. The PSP Association estimates around 4,000 people in the UK are currently living with the condition — though the true number may be higher, as many cases are thought to be misdiagnosed. After a long hospital stay, he passed away peacefully following a short time in a care home in Haslemere. His grandchildren are raising money for PSPA, the only UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by PSP and the related condition CBD (Corticobasal Degeneration).

Jake, who has never run long-distance before, said: “Taking on this challenge of a half marathon, with no past experience in running has been difficult at times, from training to the cramping legs, but I knew deep down Grandad Mick has been with me every single step. The main reason for this half marathon is to raise as much money and awareness for PSP to help families not go through the same experience as ours.

“We’ve been blown away by the support. Grandad would’ve had his cheeky smirk on, thumb in the air, proud of everyone he knew.”

Tash added: “We’ll be ending our run at the Liphook Club to raise a pint for him — because that’s how he’d have wanted it. As Grandad would say: ‘It’s a goodnight from him, and a goodnight from me.’”

Mick is survived by his children Helen, David, and Sally, and by his many grandchildren.

To donate to Tash and Jake’s fundraiser for PSPA, visit: justgiving.com/page/tash-cunningham-1