Amongst the numerous things that people associate with the Newbold name, calamitous decision making must be right up there, probably sandwiched between an inability to share sweets and world class ignorance.  And we've been at it again, and I kid you not, Newbold Snr, as in moi, Ian, decided that walking the full length of Hadrian's Walk would be something of great fulfilment.  As with many of my ideas, I run them past Junior (Emma) for her to apply her own brand of subtle sense.  I love when she says things like; "No Ian, that would be stupid." or "Which part of your brain thought that a bright idea?" However on this particular occasion she must have been applying some of that glorious ignorance, as she agreed it was a good idea too.

In fact it is more than a good idea, it is a great idea, we just perhaps didn't appreciate the enormity of the walk before committing to go on it. The arguments for, outwayed us spending any time at all looking for a negative.

The charity we shall be raising money for is one very dear to Dan Hughes, a good friend of mine, and the organiser of this walk.  The cause couldn't be more genuine, and every penny raised by the charity, and therefore this walk, will make a real difference is someone's life, in the most difficult of times.

The charity is the Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that aids parents in the devastating aftermath of losing a child.  It aims to give financial assistance to families that really need it, when one of their children is taken from them.  By offering this kind of assistance, it can ease the secondary issues surrounding a death, like having to return to work early, or getting further depressed by not being able to afford an appropriate funeral.  This is by no means a revolutionary idea, nor will it cure a disease, but it is making a real difference, to real people, in some incredible real situations.  The charity was founded and is run by a couple that were, sadly, once in a similar position.  Due to the running costs of the charity being taken care of by a corporate sponsor, TK Maxx, and donations it generates go straight into funds that are then awarded to families who sadly find themselves in very desperate situations.

So please, as well as appreciating the small matter of myself and my sister walking 80 odd miles over six day, give what you can to make a real difference to real people.

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.