A MALVERN man has raised £4,000 for a county charity after completing a 187-mile walk around the Worcestershire border in a week.
Daniel Walton, from Martley, undertook the trek for Onside Avocacy, which provides support services to ensure adults who are vulnerable, disadvantaged, or discriminated against receive fair and equal treatment.
Daniel, who is a trustee for Onside, wanted to collect the cash so the charity could support more people and had to walk an average of 27 miles and ten hours a day.
He started at Tenbury Wells, travelling north to Kidderminster, then past Hagley, around Bromsgrove and Redditch and down to Evesham, towards Tewkesbury before heading back up to Malvern.
After crossing the Teme Valley, he completed his trek in Tenbury Wells.
On his journey he met local people, raised vital funds and was joined by several guest walkers, including netball player Becky Oatley, Mayor of Worcester Coun Jabba Riaz and Casualty and Eastenders actress Maddy Hill.
Daniel said it had been an amazing experience and a fantastic opportunity to meet some brilliant people who felt very strongly about supporting Onside and the work it did.
“The most challenging time for me were days three and four which were really tough – my legs were aching and blisters had set in.
“Physiologically I was still heading away from where I started and there were still a daunting amount of miles to cover.
“At that point it was the donations and amazing support from the public that kept me going.
“I could see the money coming in was going up and up and it was brilliant to know that I could raise even more for a charity that I feel honoured to be a trustee for.
He said the guest walkers provided a fantastic distraction and made walking a lot easier.
“We are lucky enough to live in a beautiful county with amazingly diverse scenery. All of this helped me to keep going when I was physically exhausted.”
Onside, launched in 1993, offers a range of services and supports more than 4,000 people every year.
Daniel is hoping to raise £5,000 towards Onside’s target to raise £25,000 in its 25th anniversary year.
Visit gofundme.com/f/onside-walk to boost Daniel’s coffers further.
Go to onside-advocacy.org.uk for more on the charity.
