Paul walks in aid of Children's Hospice South West - 2009
Over the May Bank Holiday weekend this year I was one of a group of bereaved fathers who walked for three days from Little Bridge House children's hospice at Fremington, to Taunton, to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West. The route was about 55 miles across Exmoor, but we managed to make it closer to 60 miles by getting lost twice!
The walk was part of an event called "Child's Play" which encouraged people to join shorter sponsored walks of around 10 miles all converging on Vivary Park in Taunton on Sunday 3rd May. However, we dads decided to go a bit further and so set out on the previous Friday, and arrived at the park in Taunton late on the Sunday afternoon.
Each of us had special reason to do the walk, as Little Bridge House had cared for our children during their short lives. My daughter, Joanna (who this website is dedicated to), died at Little Bridge House in July 1999 aged nearly nine months, from Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy. But for us dads the walk wasn't just about the fundraising, it was also about sharing experiences and spending time with other dads who understood what we had been through.
We set off from Little Bridge House on the Friday morning with a great send-off from family and friends and headed off towards Barnstaple. That first day we left the town behind and climbed into the foothills of Exmoor. We had planned to stop at a remote pub for refreshments, only to find it closed and nobody home. We walked on, a little dejected… and promptly got lost in a thick, drizzly fog which quickly descended over the moor.
The first night we camped opposite another remote pub near the village of Molland - the landlady of The Black Cock was waiting for us with a hot meal and after well over 20 miles walking, it was very welcome. The Taunton Vale Rotary Club had tents ready for us and throughout the weekend they looked after us very well, from manning checkpoints on the route to having the tents ready in the evenings. The following morning, whilst we breakfasted, several of us gave interviews on local radio to publicise our walk and our cause - again, organised by the Rotary Club who basically planned the whole weekend. All we had to do was the walking!
The second day was beautiful – right on top of Exmoor we had a clear sunny day and we could see for miles. People had heard about us on the radio and were stopping their cars to speak to us, and giving donations – often as much as £20 on the spot. One lady was reduced to tears when she saw our t-shirts, which had been especially printed with pictures of our children on them.
On several occasions during the three days we came across tables and chairs which the Rotary had set up beside the road and were waiting for us with tea, coffee and cakes – very welcome! That evening they excelled themselves: we camped at a farm where the Rotary Club set up a marquee in a field and cooked us a three-course meal on gas stoves. The camaraderie that evening was something I’ll always remember, and as darkness fell we lit candles and we all spoke a few words about our much missed children. There were tears aplenty. I must admit I could barely talk.
On Sunday, day three, we left the farm and set off towards Taunton. The little toe of my left foot was bleeding quite badly by now, having rubbed since the outset, but I covered it with plasters before I left and pressed on. That last day was a struggle and I limped into Taunton at the end in a lot of pain, but I did it – there was no way I wasn't going to finish, especially when I thought about Joanna. As my children ran up to me at the park gates in Taunton, it was all a bit emotional. Once we’d stopped for press photos, we just wanted to sit down and catch up with our families.
We raised over £5000 on the walk, and £750 of that was collected in donations during the walk itself. It was one of the best experiences of my life; we all made good friends in each other as well as raising a lot of money for Children’s Hospice South West. Next year – what have I done - I've agreed to spend three days in a canoe travelling along the canals!
The walk was part of an event called "Child's Play" which encouraged people to join shorter sponsored walks of around 10 miles all converging on Vivary Park in Taunton on Sunday 3rd May. However, we dads decided to go a bit further and so set out on the previous Friday, and arrived at the park in Taunton late on the Sunday afternoon.
Each of us had special reason to do the walk, as Little Bridge House had cared for our children during their short lives. My daughter, Joanna (who this website is dedicated to), died at Little Bridge House in July 1999 aged nearly nine months, from Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy. But for us dads the walk wasn't just about the fundraising, it was also about sharing experiences and spending time with other dads who understood what we had been through.
We set off from Little Bridge House on the Friday morning with a great send-off from family and friends and headed off towards Barnstaple. That first day we left the town behind and climbed into the foothills of Exmoor. We had planned to stop at a remote pub for refreshments, only to find it closed and nobody home. We walked on, a little dejected… and promptly got lost in a thick, drizzly fog which quickly descended over the moor.
The first night we camped opposite another remote pub near the village of Molland - the landlady of The Black Cock was waiting for us with a hot meal and after well over 20 miles walking, it was very welcome. The Taunton Vale Rotary Club had tents ready for us and throughout the weekend they looked after us very well, from manning checkpoints on the route to having the tents ready in the evenings. The following morning, whilst we breakfasted, several of us gave interviews on local radio to publicise our walk and our cause - again, organised by the Rotary Club who basically planned the whole weekend. All we had to do was the walking!
The second day was beautiful – right on top of Exmoor we had a clear sunny day and we could see for miles. People had heard about us on the radio and were stopping their cars to speak to us, and giving donations – often as much as £20 on the spot. One lady was reduced to tears when she saw our t-shirts, which had been especially printed with pictures of our children on them.
On several occasions during the three days we came across tables and chairs which the Rotary had set up beside the road and were waiting for us with tea, coffee and cakes – very welcome! That evening they excelled themselves: we camped at a farm where the Rotary Club set up a marquee in a field and cooked us a three-course meal on gas stoves. The camaraderie that evening was something I’ll always remember, and as darkness fell we lit candles and we all spoke a few words about our much missed children. There were tears aplenty. I must admit I could barely talk.
On Sunday, day three, we left the farm and set off towards Taunton. The little toe of my left foot was bleeding quite badly by now, having rubbed since the outset, but I covered it with plasters before I left and pressed on. That last day was a struggle and I limped into Taunton at the end in a lot of pain, but I did it – there was no way I wasn't going to finish, especially when I thought about Joanna. As my children ran up to me at the park gates in Taunton, it was all a bit emotional. Once we’d stopped for press photos, we just wanted to sit down and catch up with our families.
We raised over £5000 on the walk, and £750 of that was collected in donations during the walk itself. It was one of the best experiences of my life; we all made good friends in each other as well as raising a lot of money for Children’s Hospice South West. Next year – what have I done - I've agreed to spend three days in a canoe travelling along the canals!
