A man's two-year fundraiser has now reached the Isle of Wight and raised thousands for charity.
David Matthews, a Samaritans volunteer, visited the Isle of Wight last Saturday (12) as part of a fundraising walk around the UK and Ireland.
The charity provides support for people with emotional difficulties or suicidal feelings, and so far David's journey has raised more than £12,000.
David hatched the plan several years ago and has now visited 201 of the charity's branches.
He said:
“I thought I should do something myself to raise funds, so I started with the idea of walking to all the branches in Yorkshire. Although it seemed a daunting prospect, I found it all went smoothly, and I realised I could do more – so the idea grew from there.”
Two years ago, David set out on his epic tour, encompassing all Samaritans branches from Lerwick in the Shetland Isles to Truro in Cornwall, and including branches in Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
During the pandemic, David continued his project whenever he could, and hopes to complete the journey by Christmas this year.
Isle of Wight branch was number 101 in the list of branches he's visited. He arrived at 10am in Cowes and walked the 5 miles to meet a (socially distanced) welcoming group Newport branch, then continued on his way, catching the 3pm ferry back. For the next few weeks, he will be visiting other branches in the Southern region.
David concluded:
“It’s been an eventful adventure but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Sometimes, in the middle of winter, in the rain and snow, you wonder ‘What on earth am I doing?’, but then somebody will walk or drive past and stop and talk. They always say how much they appreciate Samaritans, and many of them will tell me about a time when they themselves needed support from us and we helped them get through.”
You can follow David’s progress on his website at www.thelisteningwalk.co.uk and on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/over6000miles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelisteningwalk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalkListening
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