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2009 Walk Diary

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WINCHESTER TO CANTERBURY

PiLGRiMAGE

At Buckmore Park, Kent during our 2010 'walk'

Grassroots Grants, administered by Kent Community Foundation awarded us a grant of £5,000 to help with the costs we incurred on our travels!

John Jackson of Kent Community Foundation commented "We're really pleased to be able to help such an innovative activity.  It's truly great to see these inspiring ladies who refuse to let a debilitating illness get in their way. I'm glad that we're able to support them with this year's big adventure and wish them all the best on their journey."

We'd been planning this next venture for a while but were unsure costs were going to be covered.  Once we were awarded the funding  we were able to go ahead, all cylinders firing, and raise as much money as possible for the KMSTC and have fun along the way!

We completed the North Downs Way walk running from Winchester to Canterbury. The walk passed through Guildford, Dorking and Rochester and many parts of the Hampshire, Surrey and Kent countryside we had not visited or been able to appreciate at such close quarters before.  At over 150 miles it's approximately twice the length of our 2009 challenge - but that didn't hold us back. 

2010 was our busiest year yet complete with the biggest challenge we have ever faced.  We're thankful for all the support we continue to receive and just want to remind people that we're here to prove that ms doesn't have to mean you can't achieve great things.  If anything it has brought us together and brought opportunities into our lives that we never thought possible.

We began our adventure on Sunday 9th May at 12.30pm with a blessing from the Dean, the Very Rev'd James Atwell, at Winchester Cathedral followed by a short journey to commence our walk to the River Park Leisure Centre.  Our journey proper started on Monday 10th May from River Park Leisure Centre, Winchester at approx 10.00am.  The logistics involved in moving the team and our roadies along the route had previously painstakingly been worked out but we were ready for the unexpected!

The journey ended on Friday 21st May at Canterbury Cathedral where we were welcomed home by The Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury Cathedral and The Lord and Lady Mayoress and other VIPs at a welcome reception at 6.30pm.

During our journey on Monday 17th May we appeared at Buckmore Park Go-Kart Track, Rochester where we did a formation display and helped out at a Scooter Safety Awareness and Training Day, that was organised by Forever Active. 

Of the two walks we have undertaken, this was by far the more difficult and on some occasions we had to turn back and find alternatives or, much though it went against the grain, had to miss out small chunks altogether when it was completely impossible for us to negotiate.  The terrain was, at times, very testing with deep ruts made by off-roaders when the weather was wet and muddy.

Speaking of weather we covered most types on the trek and even though it was May, at the start of the walk the temperatures were just above freezing and very frosty but by the time we got to Canterbury it was really quite warm and we were in t-shirts!

Empowering us with our 'wheels' again were Forever Active Ltd (UK suppliers of Quingos) who donated scooters for all the members to ensure the trek was glitch-free.  Mark Nicholls Managing Director of Forever Active said "Our products have been designed to give people with mobility issues their independence back and these ladies continue to revolutionise the way in which mobility scooters can be used.  Quingos is incredibly proud to lend a helping hand to the team who have achieved so much over the last eighteen months.

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