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Following the easing of lockdown restrictions earlier in the year Chris and son-in-law Sean decided to embark on a walk that had been discussed for a while but never actually embarked upon. Those projects that take the longest are the ones you delay starting.

The idea was to walk the whole length of the Leeds Liverpool canal in sections beginning at Liverpool Pier Head and ending up at Granary Wharf in Leeds. The initial plan was to break it down into 5-to-6-mile stages to fit in around work patterns. However, as the walk progressed, we found ourselves doing longer and longer stretches which meant that we completed the walk in 13 stages. We began in May 2021 and completed the final 9-mile section in November 2021 documenting each stage as we went with photographs on Facebook. 

These postings attracted quite a following from family and friends, many of whom asked what we were doing the walk in aid of. Although it never started out as a sponsored walk, those who wish to make a retrospective donation may do so. Our chosen charity is MapAction, an organisation that Chris already supports on a regular basis and one that he raised money for over 10 years ago when taking part in the Barcelona Banger Run. 

We have set our target at a mere £127 being one pound for each mile of the Leeds Liverpool Canal - the longest canal in the UK. Thank you in advance to anyone who wishes to donate. We really appreciate your support of a very worthy cause. Hopefully we will smash the target.  

MapAction are a non-profit organisation that collaborates with partners around the world to help anticipate, prepare for and respond to humanitarian emergencies. They strive to ensure governments, disaster management agencies and humanitarian responders have access to the information that they need to make key decisions, at the right times, to save lives and alleviate suffering.

MapAction provides a worldwide mapping information service at the scene of any major disaster. Their volunteers produce maps depicting the dynamic situation. These are freely distributed to relief agencies. In humanitarian crises all over the world, relief agencies need rapid answers to questions about ‘where’. 
-  Where are the greatest needs?
-  Where are the gaps that need to be filled?
-  Where are the resources?
-  Where are the safety zones?
-  Where are the best or passable routes?

When disasters strike their maps make a crucial difference in delivering the right aid to the right place at the right time in order to relieve suffering. Recent events that MapAction volunteers have deployed to include:
-  Beirut, Lebanon Explosion – August 2020
-  The Philippines Typhoon – November 2020
-  South Sudan COVID vaccination programme – July 2021
-  Haiti earthquake – August 2021
-  Afghanistan Complex Emergency – October 2021

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.